Bangkok – The Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, has urged related agencies to find ways to mitigate flooding in Bangkok, and help alleviate public inconvenience.
Temporary water pumps are being installed and drainage plans initiated in 14 risk areas with another 56 areas subject to monitoring, with debris removed from water sources more frequently, and integration of the work of different agencies to speed up the drainage of floodwaters in the border areas of Bangkok into the Chao Phraya river or directly into the sea. Electricians will be on stand-by at key water pumping stations to respond immediately to any malfunctions.
In addition, the Royal Irrigation Department, the Department of Highways, and the Marine Department have proposed 32 development projects to improve the drainage system, which can be proceeded with immediately and will take less than three months to complete. These projects cover Bangkok and its borders, and include an excavation project along the upper part of Tha Chin river in Suphanburi. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration must now survey and log items obstructing water flow and create renovation plans by the end of this year.
The Prime Minister has urged all agencies to expedite their processes and work hard during the period of heavy rains to help alleviate the impact from flooding as much as possible.
