|
Bangkok opens watergates
Report from The Nation dated 21 October 2011:-
Bangkok opens watergates
Runoff water from the upper part of the country has finally proved
"too huge" for the government to keep out of Bangkok.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday told the Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to use the capital's canals to
direct runoff water out to the sea.
"We have asked the BMA to open all watergates along the capital's
waterways. Then, we should be able to push between 8 million to 10
million more of cubic metres of water into the sea per day," she said.
Although, Yingluck tried to assure city residents that Bangkok's
canals would not overflow, she fell short of clearly explaining how
the government would control the water level and volume.
The PM held a meeting with Royal Irrigation Department directorgeneral
Chalit Damrongsak and Bhichit Rattakul, a former Bangkok governor, to
discuss the plan yesterday afternoon.
"We are trying to find out how to push as much water as possible into
the eastern part of Bangkok. There, we have already dredged seven
canals to facilitate the water flow into the sea," the prime minister
said.
She then just added that ridges and embankments would also be used to
prevent the overflow and to divert the water into Bangkok's eastern
part.
"This is the fastest way to push the water out into the sea," Yingluck said.
She told Bangkok residents in Sai Mai, Bang Khen, Klong Sam Wa, Nong
Chok, Min Buri, Lat Krabang and Khannayow districts to move their
belongings to spots at least one metre above the ground.
She said the water from Bangkok's canals would not overflow onto the
roads. "But if it does overflow, we will use pumps," she said.
Asked whether Bangkok could be considered safe from floods, Yingluck
said, "It's a surveillance area. It's not a risky area".
The military has pledged allout efforts to evacuate stranded residents
in heavily flooded Bang Bua Thong district in Nonthaburi, the
government Flood Relief Operations Centre announced.
Anyone calling for help can signal to barges passing their homes with
flashlights or lighted candles, or call 1131, said military officials,
present for the first time in uniform during a FROC press conference.
Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the BMA could release
1,600 cubic metres of water per second into the sea.
"We will do our best to assist the central government but we will take
into account impacts on local people, too," he said.
China Premier Wen Jiabao insisted yesterday to send a total of 170
heavy pumps to help Thailand fight the floods crisis.
He offered the assistance to Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt na Ranong
during his threeday trip to China until this weekend.
Wen said the first lot of 150 pumps with a capacity of 78 tonnes per
hour each will arrive by tomorrow afternoon and the remainder, with
greater capacity of 200 tonnes, will be delivered later.
Link : http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bangkok-opens-watergates-30168197.html
|