Junta to help fight floods

PRIME Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has brushed off a request for him to sack the Bangkok governor over alleged failure to prevent recent flooding, saying it was up to “the people” to decide on the fate of their elected city chief.
Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra cut short a work trip to the Netherlands in the wake of the flash floods that hit Bangkok on Monday, which got him into hot water.
“The people have to decide themselves on what to do (with the city governor). People have voted him into the post,” Prayut said yesterday.
On Monday, the Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA) called for Prayut or Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda to replace Sukhumbhand, his deputies and some other executives of the city administration with someone more competent in flood prevention.
The move happened after millions of city commuters faced a traffic nightmare |following a long pre-dawn deluge on Monday.
Prayut said yesterday that in addition to the huge rainfall, Monday’s hours-long flooding in the capital also stemmed from management or preparation problems.
He said the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which he chairs, would set up a centre to monitor flood situation in Bangkok and beyond.
“If the Bangkok governor can’t tackle flood threats efficiently, the Bangkok city clerk or the Interior Ministry will be entrusted with the mission instead,” he said.
NCPO spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said Prayut had now instructed the NCPO to provide help in areas affected by floods caused by big downpours.
“The NCPO and armed forces will develop emergency-response plans particularly for urban zones where heavy rain may cripple traffic,” he said.
Sukhumbhand is due back in Bangkok this afternoon, after cutting short his trip to the Netherlands. His team was initially scheduled to observe wastewater systems and attend an international conference in Netherlands between June 6 and June 12.
However, after the flash floods hit Bangkok, Sukhumbhand decided to head back out of concern about the situation in Bangkok, an informed source said.
“Some of his team members will stay on in Netherlands to take part in the scheduled press conference,” the source added.
Bangkok City Clerk Sanya Sheenimit stressed yesterday that the city’s water-drainage system could deal with rainfall of up to 60 millimetres per downpour only.
“If the rainfall goes over 100 millimetres (like on Monday morning), it will take time to drain water away,” he said. Litter discarded by city people was another part of the problem.
“Each day, the BMA can collect about 1,000 tonnes of garbage and weeds from its water-drainage system. During the rainy season, the amount grows by hundreds of tonnes,” he said.
Sukhumbhand’s adviser Wasan Meewong, meanwhile, hit back at the SGWA. “Apart from lodging complaints and petitions, what actual work the SGWA has done?” he said.

Drainage system explained

BANGKOK city’s flood-prevention measures are mainly flood |barriers along Chao Phraya River, and the Bangkok Noi and Mahasawat canals; water drainage system comprising seven active large tunnels covering 19 kilometres and with combined capacity of 155.5 cubic metres per second (five more tunnels are currently under construction).
- one-metre-wide, 1.1-km-long tunnel in Sukhumvit Soi 26 drains at four cubic metres per second and covers the area from Sukhumvit Soi 22-28;
- 3.4-metre-wide, 1.88km-long tunnel in Klong Premprachakorn area drains at 30 cubic metres per second and covers Bang Sue, Chatuchak, Lak Si, Bang Khen and Don Muang districts;
- 2.4-metre-wide, 1.9-km-long tunnel in Phayathai district drains at 4.5 cubic metres per second and covers Phya Thai, Soi Phaholyothin 5-11 and a part of Rama VI Road;
- 1.8-metre-wide, 1.32-km-long tunnel in Sukhumvit Soi 36 drains at 6 cubic metres per second;
- 1.8-metre-wide, 1.1-km-long tunnel in Sukhumvit Soi 42 drains at 6 cubic metres per second;
- 4.6-metre-wide, 5.98km-long tunnel in Beung Makkasan area drains at 45 cubic metres per second and covers Wattana, Pathumwan, Ratchathewi, Phayathai, Huai Kwang and Din Daeng areas;
- 5-metre-wide, 5.11km-long tunnel in Klong Saen Sab and Klong Lat Phrao drains at 60 cubic metres per second and covers Huai Kwang, Bang Kapi, Bung Kum, Wattana, Wang Thong Lang, Lat Phrao areas;
The city’s drainage system could drain up to 60 millimetres of rainfall within two hours. Water would go through pipelines totalling 6,400 kilometres , 1,682 canals covering 2,600 kilometres (75 per cent of which were dredged) and 605 pump stations with combined capacity of 1,153 cubic metres per second.