Flood threat keeps capital on red alert Skip to main content

Flood threat keeps capital on red alert

Bickering over who's in charge confuses public

Floods continue to threaten Bangkok but there is confusion among the public about the deluge dangers, who is in charge of operations and who to believe as authorities continue to bicker.
Authorities yesterday made all-out efforts to reinforce a 4km flood barrier along Khlong Rangsit canal in tambon Lak Hok of Pathum Thani and Chulalongkorn sluice gate in Pathum Thani.

Both barriers are the last flood prevention lines to prevent overflow entering Bangkok, particularly after a sluice gate in Khlong Ban Phrao in Pathum Thani's Sam Khok district broke.

The government yesterday ordered the army to build additional dykes near Phra-in sluice gate to halt more overflow heading downstream to Bangkok. The new dyke is expected to be completed within two days.

"We are confident of controlling the water flowing to Bangkok and the capital will not be affected by floods except in areas outside the dykes," said Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, who is chief of the flood relief centre.

On Thursday, Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi ordered an evacuation from Bangkok's northern outskirts to Don Mueang airport due to the failure to repair the water gate in Khlong Ban Phrao canal in Sam Khok district of Pathum Thani.

Other authorities later dismissed Mr Plodprasop's announcement and insisted that despite the unfinished repairs of the water gate, floodwaters would not reach Bangkok and its adjacent areas in Pathum Thani. Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra on Thursday also blasted the announcement, asking Bangkok residents to listen to him and him alone for any evacuation orders.

Pol Gen Pracha yesterday joined the debate over who should issue evacuation announcements. "I think [Mr Plodprasop] should have acknowledged by himself that I'm the one who will make the evacuation announcement. He can talk about the things he is responsible for."

Mr Plodprasop himself apologised to the public for causing a panic but said he did not make an evacuation announcement.

He only told people to move belongings to higher ground and their cars out of flood-risk areas.

The Interior Ministry's emergency operation centre for floods, storms and landslides yesterday morning declared 17 districts of Bangkok disaster areas that needed immediate help.

But in the afternoon, Pol Gen Pracha dismissed the morning announcement.

He told people to get their information from his centre only and any written announcement from the centre had to bear his signature. He said the centre would update the public on the overall flood situation while City Hall would inform people of flood risks in Bangkok.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said concerns about public safety prompted Mr Plodprasop to issue the alarm and evacuation order. "Any further official announcements will be sent to the public via the national TV Pool," she said.

Ms Yingluck yesterday met MR Sukhumbhand in tambon Lak Hok to inspect the last flood prevention line in Bangkok's northern side, apparently in an attempt to show cooperation between the government and City Hall.

"Flood prevention here is critical [in stopping flooding in Bangkok]," Ms Yingluck said.
The flood relief centre earlier complained City Hall had delayed opening sluice gates, blocking water flow to the north of Bangkok.

Deputy Forest Department chief Chonlatis Suraswadi, who is a relative of Mr Plodprasop, said Mr Plodprasop had good intentions to save people. But due to his character, it might have been an overreaction.

Meanwhile, Supoj Tovichakchaikul, deputy permanent secretary of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, warned that the floodwaters flowing towards Bangkok were massive. He said 16 billion cubic metres of water are converging on Bangkok, 8 billion from Nakhon Sawan province, 6 billion from Ayutthaya and nearby areas, and 2 billion cubic metres from Pathum Thani and Bangkok's suburbs.

The government can discharge only 550 million cu m of water a day from Bangkok and its vicinity to the sea.

It will take about a month to discharge all the floodwaters if there are no high tides or rain in Bangkok and no storms above dams or excess discharges from dams in upstream areas, Mr Supoj said.

Cars are stranded on a bridge running over the Chao Phraya River in Pathum Thani Friday while the road ahead is heavily flooded. Some owners left their cars on the bridge after their homes were inundated. (Photo by Reuters)
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Sources: Bangkok Post
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