BANGKOK, 15 October 2011 – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra this morning revealed steps to protect Bangkok and other economic centers of the country from floods in which, she said, both existing and new canals to be dredged will be used to accelerate the speed of floodwater into the sea.
Speaking in her weekly radio and TV address, Ms Yingluck said floodwater would be pushed to the sea through major waterways including the Chao Phraya River and many old and new canals on the eastern and western sides of the river. On the east, seven new canals are being urgently dredged to divert floodwater to the sea via Nakhon Nayok Province. On the western side of the Chao Phraya, shortcuts will be dredged linking several existing canals such as Maha Sawat and Maha Chai, to shorten the distance of the river flow and accelerate the flow to the Gulf of Thailand.
Touching on Bangkok, the Prime Minister affirmed that the capital should be safe with the three floodwalls already built in nearby Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom provinces and in Rangsit area north of Bangkok. Moreover, a 24-km long flood dyke is being built along Raphiphat Canal to Pratunam Phra-in floodgate, to assure flood prevention efficiency.
The Prime Minister reassured that the eastern part of Bangkok would be dry with the help of the existing flood dykes built under royal initiatives. However, additional dykes have also been built to ensure the effectiveness of prevention measures.
