Although Chiang Mai’s once-in-decades flood retreated from the city within days, several poor urban communities – many of which are in the city’s worst-affected areas – are facing the huge task of cleaning their homes and working through several layers of red tape before they can be compensated by the local government.
At the Rotfai Samakkhi community of around 120 households built on land owned by the State Railway of Thailand, residents returned to houses covered in mud and ruined belongings. They found it difficult to get back to their homes as roads into the community were still muddy and partially flooded, while some households were left without electricity for several days after the flood because the water reached the fuse boxes in their one-storey homes. Residents said that their community remained flooded for several days after the water retreated from the city centre, and that pumps needed to be brought in to pump water out of the area.
Several residents said that the 5-6 October flooding was the worst they had ever experienced. One of the community’s long-time residents said that during the flood in 2011, the water came up to her waist, but this time, it was over her head. Several households prepared for the flood by raising their belongings to high places, but it wasn’t enough.
Wichian Tala, manager of Baan Tuem Faan, a homeless centre in Chiang Mai city, said that many communities lost their belongings in the flood, including essential electronic equipment like rice cookers and stoves. Many others lost the tools of their trade and vehicles they used to go to work, and are likely to have problems finding employment since they no longer have the required tools.
Baan Tuem Faan itself was also flooded. The centre houses around 30 residents who are formerly homeless, elderly, or sick. Wichian noted that, although the centre is located in an area that is often flooded, the water has never reached inside the house. However, during the 5-6 October flood, the centre’s ground floor was flooded, and residents had to stay on the second floor of the house until the water retreated.
After the flood, the centre was cleaned with the help of residents and volunteers. It is now the base of operation for a network of volunteers participating in cleanup effort in lower income communities around the city, as well as for a kitchen providing meals for affected communities and for the volunteers.
Flooded communities are entitled to compensation of 9000 baht per household from the Chiang Mai Municipality, as well as 10,000 baht to cover cleaning fees, but residents must first apply by filling out a form and submitting photos of their house during and after the flood. The community must also certify that the residents were affected by the flood before they can be compensated.
The process is complicated and a burden on flooded communities, Wichian said, noting that he has been told by several people that they decided not to apply for compensation because the process was too complicated. For those who rent their homes, it is also unclear whether they are allowed to apply or if their landlord, who may not be around, has to take care of it.
Cleaning is also an issue. Wichian said that the main issue now is managing trash around the city. Since the 5-6 October flood was unexpectedly severe, many people were not able to put their belongings up high enough, and some made it out with nothing.
He said that the city municipality has said that people could wait for the municipality to collect the trash, or they could bring it to collection points around the city to be picked up. However, it is not easy for residents to take the trash to collection points, since the trash left behind after the flood is heavy and may contain broken objects.
Meanwhile, there is a long wait for official collection vehicles, and so the trash collects in the alleyways, posing a risk of disease and requiring cleanup. At Baan Tuem Faan, Wichian said that they collaborated with the nearby communities to pay for trucks and small backhoes to come in and clear out the trash without needing to wait for the municipality to take care of it.
Volunteers have been cleaning houses and clearing out the trash at the Rotfai Samakkhi community. According to a poston Baan Tuem Faan’s Facebook page, the cleanup was completed last Friday (25 October). Volunteers will now be doing repair work and providing the community with necessities.
Around 42,000 tonnes of waste remained at several locations across Chiang Mai city, according to a post on provincial governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn’s Facebook page. The plan is to mobilise volunteers to participate in the cleanup and to have local governments hire the private sector to sort and discard of the waste, some of which will be used to produce electricity while others will go into landfill.