Tuesday 3rd January, 2012 12 Flash floods hit 3 provinces in southern Thailand The Nation/ANN The yellow flag, which denotes readiness for evac- pany briefly to a school, and later returned to their uation in 24 hours, was in force yesterday afternoon, residences. District chief Jamlong Kraidit said a Songkhla, Yala and Nakhon Si Thammarat in when Hat Yai Mayor Phrai Phatthana said it was small number of seriously ill patients at Sadao southern Thailand have been heavily inundated by meant largely for those living in low-lying areas. The Hospital had been airlifted to better-equipped Hat flash flooding after days of heavy rain, while the red means emergency evacuation could be Yai Hospital, after floodwater inundated a major cold is hitting the north and the northeast. announced immediately. road and was too high for its ambulance. Disaster status - signified by red flags - has been Elsewhere in Songkhla, two key roads leading to a Shelters have been set up in four of the eight dis- announced in Hat Yai, the business area of border crossing in Sadao district with Malaysia have tricts in Yala, after they were inundated to the level Songkhla. Car owners have begun to park their cars been impassable due to inundation. Relief assistance of one metre, following heavy downpours on Friday on elevated roads or high ground - similar to the has been provided in eight flooded districts. and Saturday. Yala municipality, especially 10 com- practice seen in central provinces and Bangkok dur- Songkhla has a total of 16 districts. The seven other munities and three key sois, along with Raman and ing the flood peak between mid-October to early districts are Sadao, Chana, Muang, Na Thawee, Na Muang districts, are under high-level floodwater. November. Mom, Saba Yoi and Khlong Hoi Khong. Provincial Governor Dejrat Simsiri, citing a Provincial governor Krissada Bunraj decided to A major hospital in Na Thawee district was flood- weather forecast, said after a possible cyclone raise the alert to red yesterday evening, a few hours ed, prompting relocation of a small number of expected last night, the situation should ease and after it had been raised to yellow from normal green, Honda cars that were damaged because of the flood are patients to its second floor, while military trucks return to normal by Wednesday if there was no after the first of two days of heavy rain. The areas at have been put on standby for evacuation if floodwa- more heavy rain. Most flood victims in tambon greatest risk in Hat Yai are Janviroj and Jankasem, parked on the ground while waiting to be destroyed at a ter rises. Patae are in need of flat-bed boats for transport of communities which are located near flood-prone Honda automobile plant in Ayutthaya province, central Around 150 families in Sadao were evacuated to a their belongings, after three roads were flooded. canals. Thailand Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP) temple in tambon Tha Pho and 100 workers of a com- Philippine flash Pakistan to challenge floods likened to UN decision over tsunami JULIE M. AURELIO debris that made it even more erosive,” Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN Lagmay said, as he described the extent of the “hyperconcentrated” flash flood’s Like a rampaging tsunami, but with strength. more destructive debris that tore up And while illegal logging in the India’s hydro project everything in its path. mountains above the city may have This was how a University of the been a factor in the destruction, Philippines geologist described the flash Lagmay said the primary cause of the KHALEEX KIANI floods that hit Iligan City at the height flash floods was the heavy rains. Dawn/ANN of Tropical Storm ‘Sendong’ which left “Logging—may it be legal or illegal— more than 400 dead in the city alone. may have aggravated the floods, but the Pakistan has decided to challenge in Alfredo Mahar Lagmay explained primary reason for this was the extreme the international court of arbitration a that the rushing waters which came rainfall brought about by Sendong,” he decision of the UN Framework from the upstream part of the told a press briefing yesterday Convention on Climate Change (UNFC- Mandulog River were so strong that (December 30). CC) to grant carbon credits to India on a they swept away everything in their UP sends a team controversial hydropower project without path—from rocks, mud, to whole trees. Lagmay, a professor at the National mandatory clearance of its trans-bound- “It was like a tsunami, but with more Institute of Geological Sciences, was ary environmental impact assessment. part of a team that the university had Simultaneously, the water and power sent to Iligan City after the flash floods ministry has sought the opinion from the which swept away entire homes and establishment division if Pakistan’s for- communities. mer commissioner for Indus Waters The storm dumped 350 millimetres of (PCIW) could be proceeded against after rain on northwestern Mindanao on the his retirement for not vigorously pursu- night of December 16 up to the early ing cases to stop India from construction hours of December 17, causing the flash of the controversial project and getting floods that crept in while people slept carbon credits from the UN forum, a sen- soundly in their homes. ior official told Dawn on Sunday. International Court. - Reuters (File Photo) This was less than the 455 mm of Earlier, the law ministry had informed rainfall that Tropical Storm ‘Ondoy’ the establishment division and the water challenge the UNFCC’s decision in the with India by the ministry of environ- dumped on Metro Manila in 2009, but and power ministry that a former retired international court of arbitration ment”. just as severe, Lagmay noted. government official could only be pro- because legal requirements were alleged- He is reported to have told the enquiry As of December 28, 456 were reported ceeded against if his actions were found ly not fulfilled by the UN agency. These officer that he had been vigorously pursu- to have died and 466 still missing in to be of criminal nature. The water and officials said either the Indian govern- ing with his Indian counterpart Iligan City alone, with 863 injured, power ministry has now asked the estab- ment misled the UN agency through fake Pakistan’s technical and engineering Lagmay said. lishment division to determine the nature and fictitious documents that might have related objections and reporting its feed- The UP team focused its efforts on of the case so that proceedings could be shown Pakistan’s consent to the project back to the government of Pakistan. The Iligan City through a partnership with initiated if these were of criminal nature. because there was no such record avail- issue was discussed several times at vari- Sen. Koko Pimentel. The government has stopped the pay- able in Pakistan. ous forums of the government without a Worse than Guinsaugon ment of retirement benefits to Syed India applied for carbon credits for the major decision being taken to take the “We think the destruction in Iligan Jamaat Ali Shah, the former PCIW, pend- project which was a “long-term process matter to the international court of arbi- City is worse than that of Cagayan de ing an inquiry. An official said the pen- and must have spread over 4-5 years”, the tration. Oro… even worse than what happened sion and retirement benefits were now inquiry officer wrote. “It is still not estab- The inquiry officer held that informa- in 2006 in Guinsaugon (Southern being released to the former official who lished how India was able to get carbon tion about the project was received in Leyte),” Lagmay said. had served as the PCIW for 18 years. credit benefits for the Nimoo-Bazgo proj- Pakistan in 2002 and Pakistan’s PCIW had Describing the flash floods which Officials said an enquiry conducted by ect which is located on trans-boundary repeatedly sought information from his rampaged through Iligan City, the geolo- Mohammad Imtiaz Tajwar, secretary of water and for which ratification of the Indian counterpart and its inclusion in gist said the floods were of a high veloc- Wapda, as inquiry officer appointed by parties concerned should have been pro- the agenda items, but it took several ity and highly erosive because of the the ministry of water and power, con- cured before hand by it under clause 37(b) years till 2009 when the project was final- Affected residents queue up for relief goods debris that the waters took with them firmed a Dawn report of July 2010 that of UNFCC. Although it is too difficult to ly taken up by the Permanent Indus being distributed at an evacuation center from the upstream Mandulog River. India had secured carbon credits for the get carbon credits on a trans-boundary Commission (PIC) because India kept on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, following Friday’s According to the geologist, the flood controversial 45-MW Nimoo-Bazgo project such as Nimoo-Bazgo, due to lack dodging Islamabad through stereotype plain—the area of flat land beside a flash flooding brought about by Tropical storm hydropower project from the UN agency of contest by PCIW, India was able to get responses and delaying tactics. “These river that is frequently flooded when a without mandatory clearance from carbon credits on this project,” he said. letters indicate that PCIW was in the Washi in Cagayan De Oro city southern river becomes too full—is a natural part Pakistan. It was, however, strange how The inquiry report available with knowledge of the issue and could have Philippines. Tens of thousands of residents of the river system during events of India could secure carbon credits when Dawn suggests the former PCIW insisted approached authorities to approach the continue to be housed in evacuation centers in extreme rainfall. Pakistan had not seen, let alone clear, the that the matter relating to the carbon court of arbitration/neutral expert at the two cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan The Mandulog River runs for 50 kilo- cross-boundary environmental impact credits or environmental impact “was not that stage, however, that initiative was after Friday’s flash floods that killed more than metres, with the barangays of Santiago, assessment report. covered under the Indus Waters Treaty not availed and opportunity was missed a thousand people and washed away their Hinaplanon and Upper Hinaplanon in Therefore, Pakistan has now decided to 1960, therefore, the issue can be taken up (sic).” homes. (AP) Iligan City far downstream. Japanese PM considering Cabinet, DPJ shake-up THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN/ANN The Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito focus primarily on the replacement of the two cen- have said they will refuse to participate in Diet sured ministers and the appointment of a minister Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is con- deliberations involving Ichikawa and Yamaoka as coinciding with the launch of the new reconstruc- sidering reshuffling his Cabinet and his ruling long as the two ministers remain in their posts. tion agency. party’s standing officers, which would include the An increasing number of ruling party members Noda has also expressed an intention to adopt a replacement of defence minister Yasuo Ichikawa believe Noda will be forced to replace the two minis- more aggressive approach toward opposition parties and consumer affairs minister Kenji Yamaoka, ters before full deliberations begin in the Diet to in Diet management. against whom censure motions were passed last start negotiations between ruling and opposition To do so, Noda may replace some key DPJ stand- month. camps over the consumption tax hike. ing officers, such as Diet Affairs Committee According to senior Democratic Party of Japan The maximum number of Cabinet ministers will Chairman Hirofumi Hirano, to strengthen the DPJ members, Noda will likely carry out the reshuffle in rise from 17 to 18 while the reconstruction agency is leadership, according to party sources. With Hirano early February, when the number of Cabinet minis- in place. Noda is expected to appoint Tatsuo Hirano, joining the Cabinet minister, Koriki Jojima, deputy ters will increase by one with the founding of the minister for reconstruction in response to the Great secretary general of the party, may take over postdisaster reconstruction agency. Another possi- East Japan Earthquake, to the post of a new minis- Hirano’s current post, the sources said. bility is mid-January, when the ordinary Diet ses- ter exclusively in charge of the reconstruction The government plans to begin deliberations on sion convenes. agency. the fiscal 2012 budget after passing the fourth supple- Noda will make a final decision after discussing A newly appointed minister will take charge of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, left, and mentary budget for fiscal 2011 in the next ordinary the issue with DPJ executives, including party disaster management affairs, now handled by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attend a joint Diet session. Secretary General Azuma Koshiishi. Hirano, as well as administrative and public servant news conference in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Dec. Some observers expect opposition parties will A DPJ lawmaker in the upper house who is close system reform. 28, 2011. Noda said Wednesday that India and Japan cooperate in debates on the supplementary budget, to Koshiishi said: “A Cabinet reshuffle will certainly With the plan, the government aims to demon- which includes funds for reconstruction work, but happen. It’s better to quickly replace Mr Ichikawa strate its determination to streamline itself before should step up political and economic and security will likely refuse to enter deliberations on the fiscal and Mr Yamaoka, coinciding with the launch of the raising the consumption tax rate. cooperation as he met business leaders and officials on 2012 budget. reconstruction agency.” The reshuffle is unlikely to be drastic, as it will a state visit. (AP)