09.10.09 Temples safe from floods this year, says Teera
Culture Minister Teera Slukpetch has given an
assurance historical ruins and ancient temples in Ayutthaya will be
safe from this year's flooding.
Mr Teera yesterday said the historical sites located in or near the
water-locked Koh Muang in central Ayutthaya were not under threat even
though riverside communities in nine districts of the province had
recently been declared flood disaster zones with more than 7,300
households affected.
The minister was speaking after inspecting flood prevention measures
at Wat Chai Wattanaram in tambon Ban Pom of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
district.
Wat Chai Wattanaram is a landmark temple located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River.
A 400m-long dyke has been built along the river by the Fine Arts Department to protect the temple from floods.
More than 20 temples and historical sites in the province were heavily damaged by floods and runoff from the North in 2006.
The construction of the flood wall at a cost of 50 million baht was completed about two months ago.
Mr Teera said flooding had submerged a limited area at Pom Petch Fort, another historical site, but the damage was minimal.
Anek Sihamat, head of the Fine Arts Department's 3rd region office
based in Ayutthaya, said water pumps had been installed and sandbag
walls erected to protect historical sites located in low-lying areas.
There is also a pool of funds drawn from the Interior Ministry's
Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning and other
agencies to save ancient sites and artefacts from flooding.
More than 3 million tourists visit Ayutthaya each year, generating more than 4.5 billion baht in cash flow, he said.
Meanwhile, tourism operators in Kanchanaburi yesterday called on
authorities to dredge the River Kwai to increase its capacity to
receive excess water.
Nopporn Thawornpradit, a representative of rafting business
operators, said the build-up in the river would restrict the flow of
water in the event of heavy rain and discharge from reservoirs.
Water discharge from the Sri Nakharin dam recently caused the River
Kwai to break its banks and flood residential areas in Muang district.
Mr Nopporn said the clogging of the river was also bad for the rafting business as it posed a risk to tourists' safety. Source: Bangkok Post, 09.10.09 http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/25279/temples-safe-from-floods-this-year-says-teera
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