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"Removing the dams will also affect our community and the way we manage our irrigation," Somboon Bunchu, vice chairman of a group responsible for the Payakam dam, said yesterday.

The Irrigation Department wants to construct the floodgate and remove the three dams, but Somboon insisted the old dams were not the real cause of flooding, which is what the department claims.

The dams are 1.5 metres lower than the surface of the Ping, so the dams cannot block the waterway.

Besides, the area around the three dams is called Viang Kum Kam, where any construction is prohibited by a law passed in 1992, he said.

His group has asked a pro bono lawyer from the Lawyers' Council of Thailand to draw up the complaint against the proposed flood-prevention measure.

Deputy governor Wilat Rujiwattanapong said the floodgate would soon show its superiority over the old dams. It will store water in the dry season and protect the city from floods in the rainy season.

"The new floodgate can easily replace the old dams with far greater effectiveness," he said.

Boat trips are planned for a new tour on the Ping, running from Chiang Mai city to Viang Kum Kam. Now the old dams are obstructing that route.

Jirat Prasertsup

Citylife

CHIANG MAI