Srettha tells BMA to step up measures to prevent Bangkok floods

The premier has instructed the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) to jointly work on preventing and mitigating floods in the capital.

ONWR secretary-general Surasee Kittimonthon said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was worried about Bangkok being inundated after it was forecast that the La Niña phenomenon would bring 10% more rain this year.

Parts of the capital were severely inundated in 2011 due to heavy rains brought on by the tropical storm Nock-Nock.

Surasee said Srettha recently called a meeting with all concerned agencies to discuss measures needed to prevent or mitigate Bangkok floods.

Present at the meeting were representatives from the ONWR, BMA, Interior Ministry, Defence Ministry, Corrections Department and the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

Srettha has reportedly instructed BMA and ONWR to closely monitor the rain and floods situation and enforce necessary measures. The PM also instructed the BMA to prioritise helping residents of slum communities as they suffer the most when there is a flood, Surasee said.

He added that the PM wants all relevant agencies to implement flood-prevention measures within this month, well before heavy rains arrive in September.

The BMA is required to dredge sewers and canals as well as repair and rebuild flood levees to tackle heavy rains. The BMA has also been instructed to check its water pumping stations and ensure all flood drainage tunnels are 100% efficient, Surasee added.

The PM also ordered the agencies to prepare machinery and tools needed to drain water and set up a system for local residents to alert the authorities so they can handle the floods promptly.

Srettha also wants the BMA and ONWR to prepare a system of warning local residents in time for incoming floods, Surasee added.

He said floods in Bangkok and its adjacent areas were caused by runoffs, rising sea levels and heavy rains. Hence, he said, the ONWR and the BMA should coordinate with the Royal Irrigation Department to handle runoffs from upper Thailand.

The Irrigation Department, meanwhile, has prepared water retention areas to store some 1 billion cubic metres of water to ensure the capital is not overwhelmed with large volumes of water.

The department will also channel the flood waters via the Chai Nat-Pasak canal in the East of Bangkok, and the Makham Thao canal, Thachin and Noi rivers, Surasee added.

He said the BMA has checked and reinforced flood levees at 737 at-risk areas in lower Bangkok and placed sandbags in places where there are no permanent levees.

The BMA has also sought cooperation from the Corrections Department to deploy inmates to dredge canals and sewers.

Surasee said if floods were to arrive in Bangkok this year, they would be worsened by runoffs, rising seas and heavy rains, so all measures should be in place before this occurs.