Fearful [Bangkok] city folk brace for soaking

Roadturns to river A road opposite Pata shopping mall in Bang Phlat district floods after the Chao Phraya River surged in the evening. The road is impassible to small vehicles. PAWAT LAOPAISARNTAKSIN

The owner of a Mercedes in Thainarong market in Bang Khen district raises his car above the flooded ground. RATTASEEMAPONGSEN

A disabledman removes his artificial leg and wades through the flood water in Muang Ake community in Pathum Thani. THITI WANNAMONTHA

A bird’s eye view of the submerged Thammasat University Rangsit Campus from a Royal Thai Air Force helicopter. The university is seeking to relocate some 4,000 flood victims after water broke through barricades. SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN

Motorcycles are parked on the stairs of a pedestrian bridge in Pathum Thani. THITIWANNAMONTHA

Dozens of evacuees remain in Thammasat University’s gym in Pathum Thani even though power is cut and the university closed the centre yesterday. TAWEECHAI TAWATPAKORN

Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi in Pathum Thani evacuates 60 cattle to higher ground after they were stranded in 1m floodwaters for two days. THITI WANNAMONTHA

Efforts to drive water to east, west of capital fail

25/10/2011
Pradit Ruangdit, Wassana Nanuam & Amornrat Mahitthirook
Bangkok Post

Bangkok residents are living in fear as the authorities have been unsuccessful in trying to divert northern runoff to the east and west of the capital.

About 4,000 million cubic metres of flood water from Ayutthaya is expected to reach Bangkok tomorrow, Deputy Bangkok Governor Pornthep Techapaiboon said yesterday.

"The problem is City Hall can drain no more than 400 million cu m of water a day," Mr Pornthep said.

The huge water mass will enter the west of Bangkok via Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and sweep into Khlong Thawi Watthana, Khlong Bangkok Noi and Khlong Bang Phlad and is expected to reach up to three metres high.

However, Mr Pornthep said there is a 2.7-metre-high railway track in Thawi Watthana district which serves as a flood barrier in the west of Bangkok.

The water level in the Chao Phraya River reached a record high yesterday, rising to 2.3 metres above sea level against 2.27 metres back in 1995.

The river breached its banks and inundated riverside communities in Bang Phlad, Samsen and Charan Sanitwong.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra warned residents living outside the city's embankments to be extra careful or evacuate to shelter centres.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday said that Bangkok has seen floodwaters converge on it from various directions.

She said runoff from the north has reached the north of Bangkok because the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) could not close the Khlong 1 sluice gate in Rangsit as the water flow was too strong and high. The raging torrents could burst through the water gate.

"The government has no intention of concealing information. We provide the public with regular updates. But too many new factors keep cropping up," Ms Yingluck said.

She added that areas from the Chulalongkorn sluice gate down to Sai Mai district are at risk of floods despite efforts to divert waterflow to the east of Bangkok.

She said there was concern for low-lying areas in the south of Bangkok and in Thon Buri.

Ms Yingluck said that in the west of Bangkok, three more drainage canals in Nakhon Pathom have been dug and dredged to help divert run-off to the Tha Chin River and on to the sea. They are Khlong Ngiew Rai in Nakhon Chaisi district, Khlong Song Khanong and Khlong Thakham in Sampran district.

But a problem had arisen as no water had flowed into the canals so far, probably because areas around the canals are flat and even. But it is hoped that the massive flow of runoff will soon surge forward into the canals, she said.

As for the problems in diverting water to the east, Pheu Thai MP Uthen Chartpinyo, who chairs a working committee overseeing efforts to drain floodwater, criticised the RID for failing to address key water drainage bottlenecks.

He had two main concerns. In eastern Bangkok, next to Pathum Thani and Chachoengsao, efforts are focused on forcing water through Khlong 1-5 to Khlong 13, where it is then pushed to Khlong Saen Saep and then ultimately out to the Bang Pakong River in Chachoengsao.

But Mr Uthen said more pumps were required to move the water from low to higher areas. A lack of pumps was leading to water continuing to pool along the northern outskirts of the city.

"We've recommended that from Khlong 13 in Rangsit to where it intercepts with Khlong Hok Wa in Sai Mai district, more pumps must be installed. It's a critical point," Mr Uthen said.

The second major flashpoint is at a 160-170 metre bottleneck where Khlong 14 and 15 reaches Khlong Hok Wa, as vegetation in the canal is impeding the flow of water.

Mr Uthen said the panel called for the area to be cleared since Friday to help ease bottlenecks in the canal system, but no action has been taken.

Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa yesterday said the 1st Army has been told to identify evacuation areas in the capital and soldiers have been sent to keep a close watch on Khlong Hok Wa.

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered reinforcements of 40 companies from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Armies to help flood victims in Bangkok. A joint military command has also been set up to protect the Grand Palace, the Chitralada Palace and the Sukhothai Palace.

There are 27 flood-prone districts of the capital and they have evacuation plans in place. Sai Mai and Don Muang would be the first two affected districts, Gen Prayuth said after taking a helicopter ride with Gen Yutthasak to inspect the flooded areas.

First Army chief Udomdej Seetabutr said the government, City Hall and the RID are directly responsible for overall flood operations in Bangkok while the military is in charge of flood response.