Somjai Arunchartrakool. The safety of a downstream community : a case study of Ban Gang Khaep, a community downstream of Srinagarind Dam, Tha Kradan subdistrict, Srisawat district, Kancanaburi province . Master's Degree(Rural Development Studies). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2003.
The safety of a downstream community : a case study of Ban Gang Khaep, a community downstream of Srinagarind Dam, Tha Kradan subdistrict, Srisawat district, Kancanaburi province
Abstract:
The objectives of this research are to study the operational situation of relevant
agencies in dam emergency preparedness, to study the response towards dam safety
issues of a downstream community in Mue four, Ban Gang Khaep, Tha Kradan
Subdistrict, Sri Sawat district, Kancanaburi province, and to find guidance for
developing dam emergency preparedness for the optimal safety of the downstream
community. It is a survey and qualitative research from documentary and field study.
Questionnaires, in-depth interview, and non-participant observation are used in the
data collection.
In the study of operational situation in dam emergency preparedness, the result
shows that there are minimal measures and activities in place for making people safe
in case of dam emergency. As regards the community response towards dam safety
issues, the result shows that most of the respondents in Ban Gang Khaep community
possess little dam information. They think that all dams are safe and deny the risk
associated with dam failure. They know that there is big danger in case of a
Srinagarind dam failure and know what the consequence would be, but they are not
worried about dam safety. They’ve never received any guidance on how to act in the
case of a dam accident. They do not know how to act in case of dam emergency and
do not know whether involved agencies have planned for dam emergency or not. The
agency from which they will obtain instruction in case of a dam emergency is
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). They believe that there ought to
be plan for dealing with a dam break and EGAT should be responsible for these plans.
For suggestions on developing dam emergency preparedness, the result shows
that EGAT should prepare more measures and activities to maintain and implement
the Emergency Action Plan and should establish coordination between the dam owner
and the relevant agencies. The agencies related to public safety should have their own
plans and support EGAT’ s activities. Ban Gang Khaep community should arrange
and conduct its own community emergency response team, and improve the means of
communication in the community.