Private sector funds Hat Yai flood-alert system
The Nation November 29, 2011 12:00 am
Businesses in Songkhla's Hat Yai district have contributed Bt2 million each towards the development of a sophisticated flood-warning system designed by Prince of Songkhla University.
Somboon Ponglertnapakorn, an executive of Ocean Hat Yai Hotel, said yesterday that he granted Bt2 million to the research effort so that the destructive effects of inundations could be mitigated.
Citing the great floods of 1988, 2000 and 2010, he said the annual floods were growing severer and causing greater economic losses.
The South's commercial capital should be equipped with effective means to forecast disasters and give advance warnings so that people could have time to prepare and the damage could be minimised, he added.