Hat Yai’s “Big Cleaning Day” is set to begin on Saturday, mobilising locals and heavy machinery to restore the city within seven days, said Songkhla governor Rattasart Chidchu.
Mr Rattasart said Hat Yai district, which is home to about 400,000 residents, suffered severe damage to homes, roads, utilities and public infrastructure, along with large amounts of flood-related debris and sediment. He said the “Big Cleaning Day” campaign will start on Saturday to restore Hat Yai within seven days. Residents were asked to remove vehicles obstructing traffic to facilitate cleanup operations.
The governor added Songkhla province has mobilised extensive machinery, including 100 six-wheel trucks, 100 ten-wheel trucks, 100 backhoes, 100 loader-excavators and 10 garbage trucks.
Over 10 million garbage bags and 300,000 sets of cleaning devices were also prepared.
More than 1,000 personnel will be deployed from local administrative organisations, government agencies, volunteer groups, military units and communities.
A man carries a bamboo table back into his house amid flood damage and debris. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichaenbut)
Additional teams from neighbouring districts are also standing by to reinforce the effort if required, ensuring around-the-clock operations during the first days of the campaign.
A village-level team will coordinate the work, with municipal council members overseeing operations and community leaders handling on-the-ground coordination to ensure that assistance reaches all households quickly.
Police were also instructed to step up patrols to protect residents’ property once the floodwaters recede.
Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) is accelerating efforts to manage waste and wastewater across 10 flood-affected districts.
PCD director-general Surin Worakitthamrong said Deputy Prime Minister and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin has ordered agencies to provide urgent support, including preparing bio-extract solutions, identifying waste-reception sites and assessing damage to waste-management and wastewater-treatment systems.
Mr Surin said the PCD will liaise with local authorities to open more temporary waste collection points and work with the private sector to sort and recycle waste.
He affirmed his agency’s full commitment to restoring environmental quality and normal living conditions in the province as quickly as possible, adding that environmental monitoring teams will continue assessing the air and water quality.
People in Khuan Lang subdistrict of Hat Yai wade through the receding floodwaters as they gradually return home. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichaenbut)
A food delivery rider cleans and repairs his motorcycle after the severe floods. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichaenbut)
Cars and motorcycles are left piled up after having been partially submerged by the floodwaters in Hat Yai. ((Photo: Nutthawat Wichaenbut)
Source: Bangkok Post