SPECIAL REPORT: The government has decided to drain floodwaters through the eastern and western sides of Bangkok, so many around the capital know trouble is heading their way
A last-minute race against time has begun in areas surrounding Bangkok after the government resolved to drain water to the sea through the western and eastern sides of the city.
Map provided by the flood centre shows the plan to keep inner Bangkok dry by diverting floodwaters around the capital.
Narong Ouiyaharn, 45, head of Moo 5 village in tambon Ban Bor in Muang district of Samut Sakhon, said local authorities had distributed 20-30 sandbags to each household in his village to cope with the arrival of floodwater, which is expected next Thursday.
Tambon Ban Bor is one of the flood drainage areas for Bangkok and the central provinces.
Sunak Hon Canal, a major canal linking the Tha Chin River with the Mae Klong River, will drain water from the Mae Klong into the sea, said Mr Narong. All residents are preparing or are prepared for flooding.
"What worries us most is rising sea levels during the arrival of the floodwater. If this happens, the Maha Chai area will certainly be flooded. The situation will be worse than the big flood of 1995," Mr Narong said.
In previous floods, the highest water levels usually experienced in Ban Bor were 50cm. However, the community can handle floods of up to 1m, he said.
Panya Chorthongdee, 45, head of Moo1 village in tambon Ban Bor, said locals are keeping a close watch on the water levels in Bangkok. If there is a huge amount of water in the capital, his community will be badly hit, he said.
However, if the area is inundated, the floodwater will eventually drain into the sea, he added.
Kittipong Meesuk, 33, a Moo 1 villager, said his canalside house was knee-deep in flood water in 1995.
Floods in the area depend on sea levels. To prepare for the latest inundation, he has put sandbags in front of his house.
Mr Kittipong said he was not worried about water drainage from Bangkok.
Meanwhile, Bangkok residents living near Rama IX and Ramkhamhaeng roads near the Saen Saeb canal have rushed to stockpile dried food, instant noodles and drinking water.
Many vendors are worried that their livelihoods will be badly hit if floods ravage the area.
Natthapong Thapolkhan, 35, a roadside coffee vendor at Soi 31 on Rama IX Road, said many street vendors would have no money to support their families and pay loans if floods arrived.
In Bangkok's Rarm Intra area, residents of the Nives housing community were confident their community would be saved from the flooding.
A retired government official living in the community said most residents were not worried about floods as there were canals to drain water.
However, they were not complacent. Many were closely monitoring news about the flooding, he said.
Bangkok MP Pollaphum Wipatphumprathet urged residents in Kannayao and Bung Kum districts not to panic about the flooding. Water levels in major canals were not high at the moment, he said.
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Ref: Bangkok Post
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