BMA ‘ready with plans’ to deal with floodwaters running into Bangkok
With floodwaters from Nan province expected to reach the capital in six days, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said on Saturday that it had prepared a plan to deal with the situation in many areas.
Deputy Bangkok governor Wisanu Subsompon said the BMA’s agencies had surveyed the upper part of Bangkok to make sure that flood barriers and other facilities like temporary bridges were ready.
He said the agency was collaborating with relevant agencies on monitoring the water level on the Chao Phraya River, and preparing a plan to cope with possible floods and runoffs in the capital.
He also expects water from Ayutthaya’s Bang Sai district to arrive in Bangkok in a couple of days.
“We do not want people to panic because the BMA is monitoring the situation closely,” he said.
Wisanu affirmed that sandbag barriers had been set up to deal with floods and runoffs similar to the situation in 2011.
He said officials from the BMA and relevant agencies were ready to assist people in moving their belongings to higher grounds and providing medicines.
Officials have been ordered to monitor the water situation and inspect barriers along the Chao Phraya River, as well as Bangkok Noi, Maha Sawat and Phra Khanong canals, when the water level rises, he said.
Wisanu urged people living near the Chao Phraya River to monitor the flood situation closely.
People living near the Chao Phraya River can monitor the water situation by visiting the Drainage and Sewerage Department’s website, and Bangkok Flood Control Centre on Facebook and X.
They can contact BMA for assistance in case of flooding via its call centre: 1555 or Traffy Fondue platform, or contact Bangkok Flood Control Centre on 0 2248 5115.
Separately, caretaker Agriculture Minister Thamanat Propow surveyed Phayao and Phrae provinces on Saturday to check water drainage efficiency in the North of Thailand.
He said the ministry would drain water into the Mekong River within 3-4 days. He added that he would survey the situation in Sukhothai province on Sunday to ensure drainage efficiency of the Sirikit Dam, which can store 9 billion cubic metres of water.
“Provincial agriculture-related agencies have been ordered to survey damage to crops and livestocks, so the ministry could allocate a central budget to compensate farmers,” he said.
He added that caretaker Prime Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai had appointed the Defence, Interior and Agriculture ministries to assist flood victims in Chiang Rai, Nan, Phrae and Phayao provinces.
