Ministers meet and assist flood victims

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Ubon Ratchathani – Various ministers on Monday visited Ubon Ratchathani and nearby provinces to meet with disaster victims and assess the current flood situation.

The Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Chalermchai Sreeon conducted aerial observation of waterways and drainage over installation sites of 271 flow accelerators, along with the Royal Irrigation Department director general and the governor of Ubon Ratchathani. The drainage is reported to be performing well, while the current capacity, when combined with another 100 flow accelerators in Phibun Mangsahan district, can help raise drainage capacity into the Mekong River by additional 30 percent.

Deputy Ministers of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Capt Thamanat Prompow and Mananya Thaiset, led teams of officials to meet flood victims, delivering survival bags and consumable items to villagers in Ban Kud Rangom, Ban Pak Kuk Wai, Ban Kuk Chum, Ban Khu Sawang and Ban Kwa Mai Kan villagers in Warin Chamrap district, reassuring them that government is concerned about disaster victims and is willing to help.

The Minister of Energy, Sontirat Sontijirawong, has visited a disaster shelter in Warin Chamrap district, Ubon Ratchathani, and boarded a flat-bottomed boat to deliver survival bags to monks and villagers in the Don Ngiew community where the flood level remains high, and villagers have to stay on the upper floor of their houses.

Flood levels in many areas of Ubon Ratchathani have started to recede, allowing some villagers to return and clean up their houses. Disaster victim assistance operations in lower northeastern provinces have been raised to level three, which focuses on integrated work between affected provinces.

In Roi Et, a Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prapat Potasuthon, met with villagers and distributed survival bags and animal feed to affected farmers and villagers at Selaphum Pittayakom School in Selaphum district, and Thung Khao Luang District Office. After the flood, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will encourage farmers to grow mung beans, which only require 100 days from planting to harvesting. The government will be providing free seedlings and a guaranteed selling price for this short-term measure. Farmers will then be supported for beef cattle farming through special loans via the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, which will help farmers earn a stable income.