Boundary guarded as canal secured further

About 200 villagers watched while backhoes from the Royal Irrigation Department and Pak Kret municipality were deployed to create the dykes along the road parallel to the canal.

The current at the Sri Saman intersection was strong and only large or military vehicles could get in to help evacuate people.

The dykes were built along both sides of the road after a group of people from Don Muang destroyed a part of the dyke late on Thursday or early yesterday, resulting in water flooding into Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret area and consequent quarrelling.

On one side, the canal road leads to Chaeng Wattana Road leading to Pak Kret, and on the other side is a residential community in Bangkok’s Don Muang district.

Water swamped footpaths on Song Prapha Road in front of Si Kan Temple and the Army’s communications division. The dykes along Waterworks Canal leading to Tiwanon Road could prevent water from running to the other side of the road.

The water level at the Government Office Complex on Chaeng Wattana road, which had been swelling since Thursday night, reached footpath level yesterday.

Pheu Thai MP Keng Karun was responsible for demolition of a 1kilometre section of clay wall near an intersection where Prapa Canal meets Chaeng Wattana Road, letting in flood water, Pak Kret district chief Wisit Phuangphet alleged yesterday.

Wisit said he would report the incident to the Nonthaburi provincial authorities and to the government Flood Relief Operations Centre.

Karun allegedly deployed five backhoes to destroy the wall at around 2am yesterday, claiming that it caused a number of villagers’ home to be flooded. He initially threatened to destroy the section a few hours earlier but gave up after Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit and Pheu Thai MP Natthawut Saikua talked him out of it.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday voiced concern that the water from Waterworks Canal could flood the prominent VibhavadeeRangsit Road.

“The water from Waterworks Canal gushed into Klong Prem, increasing its water level from 50 centimetres above sea level to 1 metre over sea level. Chaeng Wattana and adjacent roads were affected,” he said. “But once the water level in Waterworks Canal reaches 1.31.5 metres above sea level, Vibhawadee Road will be affected.” 

However, Information and Communications Minister Anudith Nakornthap, who is also Bangkok’s Sai Mai MP, said the swelling of Waterworks Canal was not from the massive runoff from Rapeepat Canal. It was because of the damage to Bang Luang Canal’s dyke, which had to receive much more water than usual.

Anudith said the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority and the military had been fixing the damaged dykes and controlling the water level by draining water from Waterworks Canal to Bang Khen, Bang Sue and Samsen canals. The water level is expected to drop within the next few days.Army chief Prayuth Chanocha said the military was trying its best to protect the Chitralada Palace area.

“We are not protecting only the Chitralada area. We have to protect all. Bangkok is Bangkok. We can’t give some places special protection, as when we protect one place, there will be a flood in others and then all over the place. We have to protect all areas,” he said.

He also said flood barriers could not keep waters from entering the capital. They could only delay the incoming waters so that the authorities would have enough time to evacuate people from the areas expected to be flooded.

He said waters that came overland from north of the city were powerful and would eventually penetrate the barriers to inundate Bangkok.

Prayuth said the military had prepared Plan B in case of failure.

Residents in Don Muang’s Si Kan subdistrict yesterday began to evacuate to shelters or leave Bangkok.

The owner of a convenience store had to sell products himself as employees could not come to work. A roastchicken vendor said she would sell off the food unless the water level reached the electricity socket.

Fruit vendor Suchon Kamchanteuk said he would sell his last 100 kilograms of guava and then move back to his home town in Nakhon Ratchasima province.