THILAND NEWS
Wall set up to protect Pathum Thani
The Nation
September 30, 2011 11:37 am
Officials in Bangkok's Don Muang district yesterday rushed to build a sandbag embankment in Pathum Thani once a major canal showed signs of overflowing.
The structure will not just help locals but will also protect the capital from flooding because Don Muang borders Pathum Thani. The Rangsit Prayoonsak Canal flows through Bangkok before emptying into the Chao Phraya River.
"About 40 officials from Don Muang are here to help. We have 60 soldiers on duty as well," Sompong Srianan, mayor of Pathum Thani Muang district's tambon Lak Hok Municipality, said.
He explained that the embankment along the rising Rangsit Prayoonsak Canal would allow locals to lead their lives as normal. Upstream runoffs are heading towards the Chao Phraya Basin, inundating many provinces along the way.
"Flooding caused by overflowing water has worsened in 10 provinces along the Chao Phraya River," Interior Ministry permanentsecretary Phranai Suwannarat said.
Bangkok remained safe as of press time, but some of its adjacent provinces like Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi were already submerged.
According to the Emergency Operations Centre for Floods, Storms and Landslides, 23 provinces have been ravaged by floods, with as many as 122 roads impassable. In Nakhon Sawan, nearly 30 centimetres of water covered a long stretch of the Nakhon SawanPhitsanulok Road yesterday, prompting traffic police to close it to traffic.
So far, the floodrelated death toll has risen to 180, with two people reported missing.
Wiboon Sanguanpong, directorgeneral of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, warned that continued downpours, flash floods and landslides might hit some spots in 43 provinces in the next few days.
"Keep abreast of weather forecasts and warnings," he warned.
Information and Communications Technology Minister Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap said all relevant agencies would focus on early warning and disaster prevention round the clock. "Warnings will reach people in risky areas very fast," he said.
He has also called on the three main mobilephone service providers, namely Advanced Info Service (AIS), Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Corporation, to keep people updated via free text messages. The minister has been given the job of overseeing flood operations in Uthai Thani.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday signed an order requiring other ministers to oversee floodrelief operations in 12 provinces.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk and Deputy Finance Minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom were assigned Chiang Mai. PM's Office Minister Surawit Khonsomboon has been tasked with overseeing Phetchabun and Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan was assigned Phitsanulok. Deputy Commerce Minister Siriwat Kachornprasart has been assigned Phichit; Social Development and Human Security Minister Santi Promphat Phichit; Labour Minister Pol General Phadermchai Sasomsap tasked with Phichit; and Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut given Chai Nat.
Information and Communications Technology Minister Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap said all relevant agencies would focus on early warning and disaster prevention round the clock. "Warnings will reach people in risky areas very fast," he said.
He has also called on the three main mobilephone service providers, namely Advanced Info Service (AIS), Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Corporation, to keep people updated via free text messages. The minister has been given the job of overseeing flood operations in Uthai Thani.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday signed an order requiring other ministers to oversee floodrelief operations in 12 provinces.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk and Deputy Finance Minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom were assigned Chiang Mai. PM's Office Minister Surawit Khonsomboon has been tasked with overseeing Phetchabun and Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan was assigned Phitsanulok. Deputy Commerce Minister Siriwat Kachornprasart has been assigned Phichit; Social Development and Human Security Minister Santi Promphat Phichit; Labour Minister Pol General Phadermchai Sasomsap tasked with Phichit; and Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut given Chai Nat.
Deputy Transport Minister Pol LtGeneral Chatt Kuldiloke will oversee Sing Buri; PM's Office Minister Kritsana Seehalak Angthong; Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala and Deputy Public Health Minister Torpong Chaiyasarn were assigned Lop Buri. Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri will oversee flood operations in Ayutthaya.
As she spoke, Bangkok braced for the arrival of run-off from the North which hit northern suburbs yesterday.
The prime minister gave her order while discussing the flood crisis with ministers and officials during a video conference to assess the situation and speed up relief operations.
See also:
Efforts fail to repair dyke
Surviving on flooded streets
In announcing her decision to assign 14 ministers to oversee flood-relief efforts in 12 provinces, Ms Yingluck said she wanted to make sure the situation was closely monitored and all the flood victims were taken care of.
"I want each minister to spend at least a night in a designated province to monitor the situation, solve problems, take care of residents, and check if there's still any province that needs help. If help is needed, the minister can contact the PM's Office and I will coordinate with the Internal Security Operations Command and army to deploy more troops to help all the affected areas," Ms Yingluck said.
Joining her at the video conference were Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Wibul Sanguanpong, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, Deputy Finance Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, and the governors of Chiang Mai, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, and Maha Sarakham.
Ms Yingluck said she wanted the ministers to visit the ravaged areas personally to help survey and coordinate flood relief operations with local governors directly.
The ministers would be her representatives in consoling local residents because she could not travel personally to address their grievances.
Ms Yingluck during the meeting asked the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department to speed up the delivery of prefabricated houses and aid kits in Chiang Mai. She also assigned Chaiyaphum's governor to proceed with a 400 million baht reservoir project in the province to solve flood problems.
Meanwhile, officials in Bangkok tried to block flood waters from upper areas of the Central Plains from entering Bangkok's main north-south Khlong Prem Prachakorn canal that runs into the inner area of the city. Huge amounts of water reached the northern boundary of the capital yesterday morning. Yesterday, water from the Khlong Rangsit Prayoonsak Canal in Pathum Thani province north of Bangkok overflowed a sandbag wall to the adjoining Khlong Prem Prachakorn canal in Bangkok's Don Muang district.
Consequently, a local road parallel to the Khlong Prem Prachakorn canal in Don Muang was flooded.
Narong Karoonyathorn, assistant chief of Don Muang district, said the Khlong Prem Prachakorn canal was at a higher elevation than the local road and as it was a main canal reaching inner Bangkok, officials would try their best to limit inflows into it.
Local authorities hurriedly piled up more sandbags to block the water and were able to contain the flooding in Don Muang district. Mr Narong said local officials were trying to drain water from the Khlong Prem Prachakorn canal. The drainage is also aimed at receiving rainwater falling in Bangkok.
Overflow from the Khlong Rangsit Prayoonsak canal that receives water from Nakhon Nayok province also flooded communities and a section of Som Sang Road in tambon Bang Phun in Muang district of Pathum Thani yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, the level of the Chao Phraya was at the top of the gate that separates it from the adjoining Khlong Rangsit Prayoonsak canal yesterday. Officials placed more sandbags on the water gate structure to protect commercial areas including Rangsit market and department stores as well as communities in the heart of Pathum Thani.
The level of the Chao Phraya River was 50 centimetres higher than that of the Khlong Rangsit Prayoonsak canal yesterday morning.
Flooding in Ayutthaya province north of Pathum Thani remained critical in Ban Phraek and Tha Rua districts. Local authorities said it was the worst flooding of the districts in 50 years.
Ayutthaya-Bang Pa-in Road, Ayutthaya's tourism-oriented road parallel to the Chao Phraya River, was flooded and motorists were advised to use the Asian Highway instead.
In the northern province of Chiang Mai, the Ping River rose again yesterday afternoon and overflowed into the heart of the province late last night.
Sitthichai Techajongjinda, managing director of the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar shopping centre, estimated flood damages to businesses in his area at more than 100 million baht.
According to the Public Health Ministry, the severe flooding in the country has made nearly 400,000 people suffer physical illnesses, almost 1,500 people develop high stress, 3,200 people to suffer from depression and nearly 400 to have suicidal tendencies.
