The flood situation in the North and Central regions is manageable with a joint effort by the Interior, Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Natural Resources and Environment ministries, according to a confident Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda.
But for many farmers it is already too late and their drowned crop has rotted.
Gen Anupong gave his assurance on Tuesday amid reports of conflict between the Royal Irrigation Department and Ayutthaya provincial authorities over a water retention plan to ease flooding in the province.
He said the three ministries would integrate their water management efforts.
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Incessant rain in the North had filled up the Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan rivers in the North and the flood surge as the water runs south to the Gulf has reached provinces in the Chao Phraya basin.
With such a large volume flowing downriver, some of the water must be drained to retention areas to prevent flooding. In doing so, efforts must be made to minimise the damage to farmers and their fields.
In areas downstream, water must be drained from canals and fields in preparation to take the run-off. Near the coast, the ebb and low tides of the Gulf are also important factors in water management, he said.
Gen Anupong said officials in charge of water management were now trying to divert water to be stored in kaem ling retention areas north of the Chao Phraya dam. The excess must be released downstream through the dam.
"We know that by discharging water at the rate of 1,000-1,200 cubic metres per second flooding will occur in the Chao Phraya basin from Ayutthaya province downward. But I still believe we will be able to keep the situation under control," he added.
The interior minister said during the past month 38 provinces were declared disaster areas. Now only nine of them -- Kamphaeng Phet, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, Phangnga, Uthai Thani, Phayao and Chai Nat -- are still zoned disaster-hit.
As for budget funding for flood relief, each province can ask for more from the Central Fund if the regular allocation is not enough, he said.
Gen Anupong said the three ministries will make their own assessment how much money they will need to spend within the scope of their respective responsibilities.
He believed the situation would not deteriorate beyond flash floods for a certain period.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikulya also expressed confidence the flood crisis of 2011 would not be repeated as dams in North and the Central Plains would be able to accept more water.
The best way to manage the flood was to release it to the sea through large waterways, he said.
Based on information from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, 50,000-60,000 rai of farmland in 10 provinces had been inundated, Gen Chatchai said.
Despite all the present and past assurances from the government, villagers are now suffering from the flood.
Techaphat Manowong, a village chief in tambon Mae Ing of Phu Kham Yao district in Phayao province, said more than 5,000 rai of rice fields in Dok Kham Tai plain had been under water for more than a week and the young plants had already rotted, which meant a 100% loss for the farmers.
Crops in another 5,000 rai of rice field in Thung Lor plan where the rice was almost ready for harvest had also been under water for more than a week. He estimated the economic loss from the flood would reach 100 million baht.
In Phitsanulok's Bang Rakam district, Son and Somnuek Duangtoy said they have been working hard to harvest as much of their drowned rice crop as they could. They hoped they could still dry the grain and sell it at 2,000 baht a tonne, which was well below what they had expected but still better than leaving it to rot under the water.
The couple planted their 12-rai field over 80 days go and had delayed harvesting the crop because the grain had little weight due to the drought, but now they were just hoping to at least recoup the 40,000 baht it cost to plant and grow it.
Son Duangtoy tries to salvage as much of his drowned rice crop as possible. (Photo by Shinnawat Singha)