Central provinces warned to brace for floods as more pumps are ordered for Bangkok

Kritsada Boonrat said flooding in the three central provinces was worrying but not as severe as 2011 because major dams such as Bhumibol and Sirikit could take in 30 to 40 per cent more water. 

“Many areas are facing floods and residents are panicking. Flooding is a natural disaster caused by water volumes from the North and pouring rains flowing into the Chao Phraya River. The government, hence, has to releasing water to some areas. For harvesting areas, water would be released into the area after harvesting to store for the next season,” he said. 

He said ineffective drainage was to blame for floods in Bangkok.

He said Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda, has ordered the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to install more pumps and dredge drainage pipes for more effective water management.

He instructed provincial governors and district chiefs to inform people in the swamped areas, especially near coastal areas, dams and flood barriers, to take remedial action.

“I would like to urge residents in flooded areas to understand and listen. Please do not demolish flood barriers because it would cause trouble to all people. The government has already set a remedial policy for agricultural and damaged areas,” he said. 

“We have to handle the situation with the least damage. The water diversion is currently draining steadily, but we cannot stop releasing water because there will be rain at the end of season around the middle of October that can cause trouble, according to Meteorological Department’s data,” he said. 

He said the governors and district chiefs should closely monitor the water situation and if there were flooding, they should announce a public hazard, inspect damages and assist affected residents.

 

Spirit of cooperation sought

“Residents behind and inside flood barriers should depend on each other to get through this situation together because they all are Thais. Officials should act as intermediaries for compromise and set up teams to listen to their complaints otherwise they would complain to the mass media instead, worsening the official organisation’s image,” he said.

Royal Irrigation Department director-general Suthep Noipairoj said the area on the upper Chao Phraya dam including Bhumibol, Sirikit and Kwai Noi had normal water drainage. 

“The water flowing into Chao Phraya dam is from rain in some areas and flowing to rivers and canals while the water in the lower area is floods whose drainage rate is 2,000 cubic metres per second that could be controlled so as to cause damage only in riverside communities,” he said.

He said the department had evaluated that the amount of water to be released would decrease despite the Meteorological Department’s prediction of rain in the late season.

“Because of the previous drought crisis, people had planted their crop late this year causing a delayed harvest. They would not be able to harvest until the end of the next month, hence, we would not release water to the crop areas until they have finished harvesting” he said.

“The Cabinet has approved the policy promoting Government-Local Administration Organisation partnership investment in One Tambon One Water-retention. If the areas need to dig a water-retention pool, they can use the local administration organisation’s money,” Interior Ministry deputy permanent secretary Nattapon Sirichana said yesterday.

He said the ministry would transfer a Bt2-million budget to each province to immediately solve the problem.