Bangkok prepares for rain and water from the North, warns communities outside the Chao Phraya River embankment to be vigilant from 19-23 Sept.
Mr. Ekwaranyu Amrapal, spokesman for Bangkok, reported that according to the Meteorological Department’s announcement on the “Depression” storm, issue 8 (200/2567), it is expected to occur during 19-23 September and there will be heavy to very heavy rain with strong winds in the North, Northeast, Central, including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East, and the South. People in the aforementioned areas should be careful of the dangers of heavy to very heavy rain and accumulated rain, which may cause flash floods and forest runoff, especially in hillside areas, near waterways, and lowlands.
Bangkok has prepared a plan to solve the problem of flooding from rainwater, floods and high tides. The Flood Prevention System Control Center closely monitors the water situation. There are discussion meetings to coordinate information with the Hydrographic Department of the Royal T
hai Navy, the Royal Irrigation Department, the Meteorological Department, the National Water Command, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and related agencies on a regular basis. This is an integration of cooperation with related agencies to drive flood relief in the lower Chao Phraya River Basin and is an action plan to prepare for the situation of preventing and solving flooding problems in the Bangkok area in order to reduce the impact and damage that may occur to the people as little as possible.
In preparing for flooding, Bangkok has arranged for officers to monitor weak points or flood risk areas, as well as prepared various equipment and tools to be able to prevent and solve flooding problems quickly, and prepared for operations to help people. In the event of an emergency, officers can be dispatched to immediately resolve and provide assistance 24 hours a day. In addition, officers have been assigned to monitor the water situation and regularly inspect the strength of flood prevention li
nes along the Chao Phraya River, Khlong Bangkok Noi, Khlong Maha Sawat, and Khlong Phra Khanong. In Bangkok, there is a flood prevention line approximately 87.93 km long, consisting of the Bangkok permanent flood prevention line approximately 79.63 km long, with embankments at a height of +2.80 m. MSL to +3.50 m. MSL (meters mean sea level), which can accommodate the amount of water flowing through Bangkok at a rate of 3,000 cubic meters per second.
The self-defense lines of other government agencies and private companies, approximately 8.30 km long, such as the flood protection line of the Royal Irrigation Department, the flood protection line of the Royal Thai Navy, the flood protection line of the Bank of Thailand, the flood protection line of religious places or shrines, cargo piers, docks, shops, riverside restaurants, warehouses, etc. In some self-defense lines, the level of the water barrier is low and not strong, there are leaks or gaps in the line. Officials have been dispatched to arrange sandbags
to increase the height of the water barrier and seal the leaks in order to be able to prevent the flood from the north and the high sea level safely and without affecting the surrounding areas.
For communities outside the flood protection line, they must closely monitor the situation of the water from the North when the water is at its highest each day. Some communities may be affected by boats passing by at high speed, causing the force of the waves to hit their homes. Bangkok has coordinated with the Marine Department to help inspect, enforce, and implement measures for boat navigation to prevent impacts on people’s homes.
Source: Thai News Agency