The Nation
A flood barrier section is under construction in Nakhon Sawan, where four tributaries meet to form the Chao Phraya River. :Photo By Suphakit Khumkun
BANGKOK: -- Nearly 300 local and foreign companies have tendered for Bt300-billion worth of flood and water management projects.
Applications for terms of reference for the projects end today, and a few more firms are expected to lodge bids before the deadline expires.
Some 36 foreign firms - 13 of which have offices in Thailand - are among the 287 companies that have submitted bids for terms of reference (ToR) for the projects.
Embassy officials from 12 countries have acquired ToRs, including China, South Korea, Sweden, Israel, and Mexico.
Any company that wants to take part in the projects but fails to register before the application period ends can join registered firms as consortiums, according to the application documents.
A meeting of bidders will be held at 2pm tomorrow (July 24) in the main auditorium of the National Science and Technology Development Agency at the Science Park compound in Pathum Thani, with Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee chairing. The venue can house the 1,000 or so people expected to show up. Each firm can delegate three officials to attend.
On Friday, the Royal Irrigation Department will hold a technical seminar on water and flood drainage in areas south of the Bhumibol, Sirikit and Chao Phraya Dams in preparation for actual operations during the peak tide periods during the wet season.
Pilot runs of flood prevention work will commence in several weeks to test the readiness and effectiveness of water drainage in Bangkok and to determine how well they will work with waterways that have been dredged, said Royol Jitdon, director of Hydro and Agro Infomatics Institute.
Water will be drained to outlets to the sea from mid-August to October to enable the Chao Phaya to cope with most water volume from the North, he said. He supported a HAII forecast claiming the volume of rain would be less than last year, but still be a higher average in recent years.
Under a new management plan, floodwater and rainwater will be drained through networks of waterways in four directions: in north-south direction to eastbound outlets; water travelling from previous sources to westward outlets to the Rama IX giant water tunnel: from the same sources south via Rangsit canals 1-12, and south via Rangsit canals 8-12.
-- The Nation 2012-07-23
