ANNOUNCEMENT OF BANGKOK METROPOLITAN ADMINISTRATION
SUBJECT : ANNOUNCEMENT ON FLOODING SITUATION IN BANGKOK
M.R. SUKHUMBHAND PARIBATRA, THE GOVERNOR OF BANGKOK, REPORTED THAT THE LEVEL OF WATER OF THE CHAO PHRAYA RIVER REMAINS HIGH WITH 2.48 M. BUT IS NOT AS HIGH AS OF PREVIOUS DAYS. THE LEVELS AT KHLONG SONG AND KHLONG TAWEE WATANA REMAIN STABLE BUT THAT OF KHLONG MAHA SAWAT HAS REACHED 10 -15 CM. ABOVE THE BARRIER AND THUS OVERFLOWED TO THE AREAS.
IT COULD BE STATED THAT THE INUNDATION OF BANGKOK IS COVERING MORE AREAS WITH GREATER VOLUME OF THE FLOOD. LAST EVENING BMA HAD DECLARED THE BANG CHAN SUB-DISTRICT OF THE BANG KHAE DISTRICT AS THE AREA REQUIRING AN EVACUATION SINCE AN INUNDATION HAD APPROACHED PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE AREA. THE BANG CHAN SUB-DISTRICT OF THE KHLONG SAM WA DISTRICT HAD ALSO BEEN DECLARED AS THE AREA OF ALERT REQUIRING EXTRA ORDINARY PRECAUTIONS SINCE BMA WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE FLOOD RELIEF OPERATION CENTER OF THE GOVERNMENT TO OPEN THE GATE OF THE SAM WA GATE TO THE HEIGHT OF 1.00 M. RESULTING THE AREA OF THE BANG CHAN SUB-DISTRICT SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING IMMEDIATELY. THE CONSEQUENCE ALSO APPLIES TO THE BANG CHAN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. MOREOVER, BMA HAS JUST BEEN NOTIFIED THAT THE FROC COULD NOT CLOSE THE KHLONG 8 GATE DUE TO OPPOSITION OF LOCAL RESIDENTS. THE REPORT IMPLIES THAT THE AREAS OF LAD KRABANG, THE AREAS ALONG THE KHLONG SAN SAEB, AND KHLONG LAM PLA THIEW WOULD BE GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE RISING LEVEL OF FLOODING IN ADDITION TO THOSE OF THE EASTERN PARTS OF BANGKOK, ESPECIALLY, THE BANG CHAN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE AND THE LAD KRABANG INDUSTRIAL ESTATE.
THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID THAT IN THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE CITY, THE INUNDATION IS ENCOMPASSING WIDER AREAS DUE TO ADDITIONAL LARGE VOLUME OF WATER FLUXED FROM NAKORN PATHOM PROVINCE. THEREFORE, BMA HAD TO QUICKLY DRAIN WATER THROUGH THE GATES UNDER THE OPERATION OF BMA AND ALSO OF THE ROYAL IRRIGATION DEPARTMENT TO KHLONG MAHA CHAI. UNDER THIS CIRCUMSTANCE, IN ADDITION TO THE LESS CAPABILITY OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF THE WESTERN PART AS COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE EASTERN PART, BMA NEEDS SUPPORTS OF WATER PUMPS TO SUPPLEMENT TO THE EXISTING ONES IN PREVENTING AND IMPROVING THE SITUATIONS OF INUNDATION. BMA WILL RELAY THESE NEEDS AND REQUESTS TO THE FLOOD RELIEF OPERATION CENTER OF THE GOVERNMENT.
THE GOVERNOR STRESSED THAT NOW IT IS SO NECESSARY FOR THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROVING THE FLOODING SITUATION MUST REMAIN FIRMED AND BE ABSOLUTELY ADAMANT NOT TO SUBMIT TO THE DEMANDS OF ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE. SHOULD ANY RESOLUTION BE ADOPTED AS THE MEASURES FOR IMPROVING THE SITUATION, IT MUST STAND FIRM AND REMAIN VALID UNTIL IT IS LATER PROVED THAT IT CONTAINS TECHNICAL FLAWS AND TURN INEFFECTIVE. THE RESOLUTION MUST NOT BE CHANGED AT ANY DEMANDS OR ANY WHIMSICAL NEEDS OF ANYONE. THE GOVERNOR EMPHASIZED THAT HE HIMSELF IS A POLITICIAN WHO ALSO CARES THE PUBLIC NOT LESS THAN ANY OTHER POLITICIANS, BUT PUBLIC INTERESTS MUST ALWAYS BE UPHELD. HE URGED ALL THE CONCERNED AND OPERATION UNITS TO BE COOPERATIVE, CONSULTATIVE AND AFFIRMATIVE IN PERFORMING THEIR TASKS AND MUST ALWAYS STRIVE HARDLY TO ACHIEVE RESULTS ANTICIPATED. BMA WOULD CONSTANTLY ASSESS THE SITUATIONS.
WITH REFERENCE TO THE INCIDENT AT THE KHLONG SAM WA GATE, THE GOVERNOR REPORTED THAT SINCE THE FLOOD RELIEF OPERATION CENTER COULD NOT LOWER THE GATES IN THE UPPER AREAS OF BANGKOK DUE TO THE OPPOSITIONS OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE THUS THREATENING AND AFFECTING THE ADJACENT AREAS OF BANGKOK. BMA FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT THE GATES AT MINBURI, PRAVEJ AND AT THE PROXIMITIES MUST BE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE. SO FAR BMA HAS CLOSELY AND COOPERATIVELY WORKED WITH THE FLOOD RELIEF CENTER OF OPERATION.
MR. SANYA CHEENIMIRT,THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE DEPARTMENR EXPLAINED THAT LARGE PORTION OF THE FLOOD OVERFLOWED KHLONG MAHA SAWAT COVERING AREAS OF THE WESTERN PART OF THE CITY. EVEN WITH THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF THE KHLONG PASEE CHAREON IS BEING FUNCTIONED EFFECTIVELY, BMA STILL REQUESTS THE FLOOD RELIEF OPERATION CENTER TO QUICKLY DRAIN WATER OUT OF THE AFFECTED AREAS. IN ADDITION, BMA ALSO REQUESTS FROC TO FACILITATE THE DRAINING SYSTEMS AT THE GATE OF KRATHUMBAN TO DRAIN THE FLOOD OUT TO ADJACENT AREAS OF THE CITY. IT MUST BE ADMITTED THAT THE FLOODING SITUATION AT THE WESTERN PART OF THE CITY RESULTED FROM HUGE VOLUME OF THE INFLUX FROM THE NORTH IS AGGRAVATED BY THE FACT THE OPERATION OF BMA IN REINFORCING THE BARRIER ATTEMPTED BY TRUCKS HAD FAILED AND BMA HAD TO RESORT TO UTILIZING BOATS WHICH REQUIRE MORE AMOUNT OF TIME. SO FAR BMA HAS FOUR PUMPS WITH THE CAPACITIES OF 100 CU.M. PER SEC. AT THE OPERATION MEANWHILE THE NAKORN PATHOM PROVINCE IS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH PUMPS OF THE SAME CAPABILITIES.
TIME : 11.00 AM. NOVEMBER 1, 2011