BANGKOK, Oct 3 – The water level in the Chao Phraya River, the main natural pipeline for Bangkok–and most of Thailand, remains controllable and the capital should be free from floods this year, according to a senior city administration official.
Sanya Cheenimitr, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said sluice gates in Bangkok could receive waters from suburban areas at 3-4 million cubic metres per day and the sluice gate at Klong Song Darn in the northern Bangkok could take 240,000 cubic metres of water from Klong Rangsit each day.
The sluice gate has been lifted 50cm high and it could be moved higher if necessary, he said.
Mr Sanya was giving a briefing to Deputy Interior Minister Visarn Techateerawat who inspected the Klong Song Darn sluice gate on Phahonyothin 54/1 Road which serves as a flood-prevention barrier for several districts in northern Bangkok.
Mr Visarn said the BMA has worked closely with provincial administrations adjoining outlying districts of Bangkok and shared information on water drainage under the instruction of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra who wanted all provinces to collaborate and understand the water drainage methods.
He gave assurances that this year’s water situation would not repeat the massive flooding in 2011 but residents on both sides of major rivers should at least prepare themselves for possible large quantities of water and flooding — deluge and inundation.
