BANGKOK, 25 January 2012 (NNT) – The Department of Rural Roads (DRR) has instructed local authorities to urgently survey possible sites for construction of flood ways to prepare for this year’s flood while rushing to repair roads damaged by the flood.
DRR Director-General Chatchai Thipsunaree revealed that the 2011 flood crisis has destroyed 672 minor roads in 64 provinces under the DRR’s responsibilities.
Initially, the DRR has been given an emergency fund of THB 139 billion to undertake 11 urgent repair projects. Meanwhile, 661 roads remain to be repaired in the second phase, using an amount of THB 5.9 billion from the 2012 fiscal year budget. The maintenance of the 661 roads is scheduled to be completed by September 2012.
Additionally, the DRR has braced itself for possible flooding this year by instructing all of its agencies to survey which roads are blocking natural flood ways and devise plans to construct additional channels to drain water into the open sea.
Many private companies have contributed to the maintenance of the flood-damaged roads by donating premixed asphalt to the DRR. So far, 1,000 packages have been delivered to the department while the remaining contributions will be delivered by March.