Chachoengsao: The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy inspected the Chachoengsao Provincial Water Pushing Task Force to monitor the water situation and to encourage morale among the personnel of the Chachoengsao Provincial Water Pushing Task Force.
According to Thai News Agency, Admiral Pairoj Fuangchan, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy and Director of the Royal Thai Navy Disaster Relief Center, along with Admiral Thadawut Thatphithakkul, Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Navy, visited the Chachoengsao Provincial Water Pushing Task Force at Wat Suthawat in Khlong Luang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chachoengsao Province. The visit aimed to monitor the flooding situation in the lower Chao Phraya Basin and boost the morale of the task force personnel. The visit also sought to assess the performance of the task force and address any challenges faced by the deployed personnel.
Amid the widespread flooding, Admiral Pairoj Fuangchan has expressed concern for the affected population and has instructed the Royal Thai Navy’s Special Water Pushing Task Force to hasten the installation of water pushers in critical areas to expedite water drainage and mitigate public suffering.
The Royal Thai Navy’s Water Pushing Task Force has collaborated with the Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII) to strategically install water pushers at 10 key locations in Bangkok and surrounding areas. The Royal Thai Navy Dockyard Department has undertaken a survey and installed 58 water pushers to facilitate water drainage from inner areas to the sea. The first Royal Thai Navy Water Pushing Task Force began operations on November 12 at Wat Suthawas, deploying six water pushers to enhance water drainage from the Chaiyanuchit Canal to the sea, with 13 personnel working continuously to boost the drainage rate by 20-30 percent.
The Royal Thai Navy’s Water Pusher Project, initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, has been a guideline for managing flooding since 1995 and is now used by the Royal Irrigation Department nationwide. The Navy’s newly constructed water pushers, based on this project, have proven essential in flood-stricken areas by facilitating large-scale water drainage and clearing sediment from basins, particularly in low-lying regions with difficult drainage.
The water jet used in the mission, designed and developed by Navy engineers, can push up to 4,362 cubic meters of water per hour, effectively increasing drainage rates in flood-affected areas.