Governor Takes to the River to Promote Flood Response
A fleet of five speedboats set off from Sisowath Quay on Tuesday afternoon carrying Phnom Penh’s governor, 19 local officials, several bodyguards and a press team, as the municipal authorities’ plan to deal with flooding in several districts of the city switched into first gear. Over the past two weeks, storms have caused severe flooding across 10 provinces as water levels in the Mekong and tributary rivers surged, claiming at least 30 lives and forcing almost 10,000 families from their homes, according to the figures released by the National Committee for Disaster Management on Monday. Kuoch Chamroeun, the governor of Meanchey district, parts of which have been flooded since Friday, was aboard one of the powerboats that took officials and the press on a high-speed, two-and-a-half hour journey around Phnom Penh’s natural boundaries, first up the Tonle Sap River then up and down the Mekong, getting close enough to the banks on one occasion to spot villagers in a sunken papaya field toiling chest-deep in water. … “One goal was to check on changes to the river that has swollen due to heavy rains and flooding elsewhere in the country,” he said on Sisowath Quay after disembarking from a speedboat, adding that the party was also checking if sand dredging was contributing to the flooding. Mr. Socheatvong said City Hall was prepared to respond to a disaster, though it was unlikely that the 10.50-meter emergency level on Phnom Penh’s riverfront would be breached. … In Meanchey district, more than 170 families are living in unofficial safety areas after they said they decided to evacuate to higher ground last week, and they have yet to receive relief assistance. …
Ben Sokhean and Simon Henderson
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/governor-takes-to-the-river-to-promote-flood-response-44147/
