Pathum Thani watergate repairs take extra day
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Repairs to a key watergate in Pathum Thani expected to be finished yesterday would not be completed until today, Charn Puangphet, chief of the Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organisation, said yesterday.
Since Sunday, both sides of the Ban Phrao watergate in Pathum Thani’s Sam Khok district have been damaged by strong currents, allowing water to submerge the eastern part of the district.
During a visit yesterday to the watergate, which has undergone around-the-clock repairs, Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee said 70 per cent of the damaged bits had been repaired and the gap would be plugged by today. Though he did not apologise for making a misleading statement, he did extend his thanks to the military, civilian officials and villagers who have been helping.
Referring to his statement on Thursday predicting widespread flooding in Bangkok caused by damage to the Ban Phrao watergate, which caused panic among residents, Plodprasob explained: “I only said it out of concern for the lives and properties of people.”
On Thursday, Plodprasob predicted that a large area of Bangkok would be flooded by water travelling through the broken Ban Phrao watergate.
“We finally have enough metal sheets and heavy machinery,” he said, adding that he was confident that there would be no flooding in the capital.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration lent the machinery to Pathum Thani authorities to help repair the watergate, deputy BMA spokesman Wasant Meewong said.
