BMA ready to tackle overflowing Chao Phraya as heavy rains continue
With heavy downpours expected in North, Northeast and Central Thailand, BMA has deployed workers and equipment to shore up embankments and monitor flood-prone areas
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) assured city residents on Thursday that it had taken all precautions to cope with runoffs and flooding caused by an overflowing Chao Phraya River.
Ekwaranyu Amrapal, BMA spokesman, visited people living along the riverbank to allay their fears after the Meteorological Department warned that heavy rains would continue in North, Northeast and Central Thailand from Thursday to Monday.
The spokesman said the BMA has deployed workers to watch flood-prone areas and has prepared equipment and machinery to rush in to alleviate flooding immediately.
The spokesman said BMA officials will be on standby round the clock to step in when needed.
Moreover, he said, the BMA has assigned officials to constantly monitor flood levees along the banks of the river and alongside main canals, including Bangkok Noi, Mahasawat and Phra Khanong canals.
The spokesman said Bangkok has flood levees covering a length of 87.93 kilometres, with 79.63km of the levees permanent flood embankments that are about 2.80-3.50 metres above the median sea level. Ekkwanrayu explained that these embankments can cope with a flow of water as high as 3,000 cubic metres per second into the Chao Phraya River.
The rest are temporary levees set up by other government agencies and the private sector. Ekwaranyu said the BMA has also dispatched officials to help strengthen the temporary embankments with more sandbags.
He advised people living in flood-prone areas to monitor BMA announcements closely via its website or social media channels.
People can also call the 1555 hotline, the flood prevention centre at (02) 248 5115 or opt for the Traffy Fondue app to seek help from the BMA.
The Royal Irrigation Department, meanwhile, reported that the rate of water flowing into the Chao Phraya stood at 1,286 cubic metres per second at the Bang Sai water station in Ayutthaya on Thursday morning.
