Bangkok 'still at risk'
Bangkok still needs to be on guard against the risk of flooding, a prominent expert warned yesterday.
Working with the Water and Flood Management Commission (WFMC), Royol Jitdon said his subcommittee on water-situation analysis had now requested pumps from the Royal Thai Army and the Royal Thai Navy to boost the capital’s ability to facilitate water flow out to the sea.
“There are 62 pumps in eastern Bangkok,” he said in his capacity as chair of the subcommittee.
Although the Gaemi storm has already been downgraded into a low-pressure cell, it can still spread rain and sometimes downpours over a wide area of Thailand. “On the western side, there are 25 pumps,” Royol said.
He said Bangkok did not have significant slope to help water to flow to the sea naturally and efficiently and there’s a need for pumps.
“We have also installed pumps at strategic locations in Bangkok’s nearby areas such as Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao,” he added.
According to Royol, the amount of water in the Phra Ong Chao Chaiyanuchit Canal is now lower than the level it had to deal with last year.
“But we are still urgently pushing water out to the sea. We want to keep the water level in this key canal below 1.5 metres,” he said.
Last year, Bangkok experienced a serious inundation as the country faced the worst flood in decades. Hundreds of people were killed, seven industrial estates were submerged and millions of people were displaced.
This year, authorities are working really hard to prevent the wrath of the floods.
In Ratchaburi, flooding damaged a bridge in Suan Phueng district and soldiers from the Royal Thai Army’s Engineering Department rushed in to erect a temporary bridge. Several other local bridges were also at risk.
