Urgent rehabilitation of flood-affected districts in Nan province ordered

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) Yodchanan Wongsawat ordered the rehabilitation and restoration of public utilities today in flood-ravaged Pua and Wiang Sa districts of Nan province, as floodwater is steadily receding.

The deputy prime minister, who has been in Nan province since Wednesday to assess and monitor flooding, held a meeting this morning with Nan’s governor Chainarong Wongyai and Nopparat Thawong, the mayor of the Nan Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO), at the flood command centre in the PAO office to discuss urgent measures to restore power and clean water supplies, clean the roads of the thick layer of mud and fix damaged properties.

Yodchanan and his team later inspected Pua district. He said that Muang and Wiang Sa districts would be the next to be rehabilitated.

It is reported that workers have managed to restore electricity to most of Pua district and the municipal area in Muang district, with the exception of Phu Kha sub-district where two roads have been cut off by flooding and maintenance is under way to reopen them to traffic and to restore power.

Tap water supply has been restored in most submerged areas, except in Tha Wang Pha district, where a broken main is under repair. Water trucks have been deployed to supply affected people. Three meals a day are being supplied to many flood victims.

Meanwhile, the Phetkasem Foundation reported today that a rescue team had recovered the body of a man, aged 40-50, who had been washed downstream in the Nan River in Tha Wang Pha district. The body was taken to the district hospital for autopsy and identification by his relatives.

The foundation reports that three people have drowned in flooding in the province.