Municipal and national-level officials established a joint committee on Wednesday that will attempt to solve a problem many of Phnom Penh’s residents have long considered: why swaths of the city become flooded every rainy season.
In a meeting on Wednesday, Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng asked Water Resources Ministry officials and municipal authorities to combine their technical expertise to alleviate the capital’s annual water woes.
Ministry spokesman Chan Youtha said the new task force could use helicopters to survey inundated areas.
“We have seen that the municipal authority has been working hard so far, but the city is still flooding from rainwater and also from Prek Tnaot stream,” which flows in from Kompong Speu province to the west, Mr. Youtha said.
“We will collect the study’s results for inspection and the committee will stop the flooding,” he said.
Contacted on Wednesday, Mr. Sreng confirmed the group had been established, but declined to elaborate.
“I’m now preparing a working group to conduct studies and I will ask for help at the national level to free Phnom Penh city from flooding,” Mr. Sreng said.
