Second test today of Bangkok's flood

It has also approved Bt300 million to support flood-prevention facilities, including pumps to push water out to sea in Nonthaburi province's Bang Kruay district.

Officials have also come up with a plan to help big cities such as Bangkok, Sukhothai and Songkhla to tackle future flooding.

The drainage test in eastern Bangkok, conducted by NWRFPC, will run from 2pm to 4pm today.

The water agency will open the watergate at Khlong Song canal and release 3 cubic metres per second.

Water will flow through Khlong Thanon near Phaholyothin road, Khlong Lat Phrao canal and the Rama IX flood-diversion tunnel into the Chao Phraya. More water will flow from Bang Bau canal and Bang Khen canal to the Chao Phraya.

Officials predict that the Bang Khen canal will be a weak point in the test, as water will flow close to Vibhavadi Rangsit Road and Lat Phrao Soi 56.

“Today will be a turning point in dealing with Bangkok flooding if the drainage test can run smoothly,” Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute director Dr Royol Chitradon, a member of NWRFPC, said.

“The success of today's drainage test will mean that we can handle large amounts of water and drain it all over a 45-day [period],” he added.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, meanwhile, said the committee did not release large volumes of water during the tests on Wednesday in the western part of Bangkok because it would have affected several residential areas along the canals.

“ The amount of water the committee discharged into the canals to run the drainage test was calculated by experts. It was enough to reflect the physical conditions and capacity of the canal to deal with flooding,” she said.

Meanwhile, Royol said his team would spend the next two days examining the preliminary test results and the next 30 days coming up with a conclusive report.

Science and Technology Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, who chairs the NWRFPC, said he would order the committee to stop today ’s test if the rainfall exceeds 30 millimetres per hour.

He added the government has also come up with a plan to save other big cities such as Sukhothai and Songkla from flooding.

Under the plan, the government will build floodways to divert water to flow outside the city.

This should also help for the next five to 10 years, especially in areas where people are blocking waterways. The government will also install a drainage system linking each canal and install water pumping devices.

“ We will not let floods flow into the big cities,” he said.