By Linda Khoo Hui Li
BANGKOK, Oct 4 (NNN-Bernama) — Bangkok’s City Hall staff were seen stepping up cleaning works along Chao Phraya River on Sunday morning, picking up trash, water hyacinth and aquatic weeds, but it is not a routine clean up.
A closer look found authorities were also setting up barriers and pilling up sandbags at the doorways of shops and banks. It is the clearest indication that Bangkok is bracing for possible floods as dams upstream are expected to discharge excess water.
To avoid the repeat of 2011 floods, the authorities are doing their level best with Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang taking the trouble to check personally pumping stations and river embankments along the Chao Phraya River.
He even ordered the reinforcement of about 79 kilometres of floodwalls in nine low-lying districts along the Chao Phraya River namely — Dusit, Phra Nakhon, Yannawa, Bang Kholaem, Sathon, Bang Phlat, Thon Buri, Klong San and Rat Burana.
Aswin said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is closely monitoring the situation and various prevention measures have been put in place to prevent flooding in the city.
Meanwhile, the Metrological Department has forecasted thundershowers over the country in the coming days.
The water level at the Chao Phraya River is steadily rising as authorities discharge water from dams upstream.
BMA said an average of 3,091 cubic meters per second of water have been flowing through the Chao Phraya River today, however, it is still below the river’s embankment.
Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DDPM) reported that tropical storm Dianmu has caused heavy downpour and flooding in 32 provinces since end of September and already displaced 271,092 families.
The department said to date at least eight dead and one reported missing.
“There are 18 provinces still dealing with floods. Overall, the flood situation in the kingdom has started improving with flooding still reported in low-lying areas,” DDPM said in a statement.
Meanwhile, BMA also issued a warning that from Oct 5 to 9, people in the high risk areas should be beware of the heavy rain and it accumulation may cause flash flood and over flows as authorities release water from dams upstream.
BMA has identified 11 communities at seven low-lying districts along Chao Phraya River to brace for possible floods.
AFP reported quoting Hydrology expert Seree Suparathit from Rangsit University as saying the floodwater would likely reach Bangkok this week.
Bangkokian, Tawatchai Lalitertwang hoped that Thailand will not face a repeat of the 2011 flood which killed more than 800 people and caused more than 1.5 trillion baht in damage.
“I have piled up some sandbags at my house to reduce flood losses in case of flood,” he told Bernama.
— NNN-BERNAMA