BANGKOK, Oct 19 – Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra acknowledged Wednesday that water runoff from north of Bangkok will arrive at the capital sooner than expected, and advised 200 households near the flood prevention dyke at the lower Hok Wa Canal and 1,200 households on Kong Song Canal to move to shelters for their safety.
At his third press briefing today at Rittiyawannalai School 2, the governor said that floodwater from the north of Bangkok –from Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate in Pathum Thani — would first arrive at Bangkok, followed by Rapeepat Canal but without a specified volume or timing, and was expected at Rangsit Canal Thursday night and to flow to the lower Hok Wa Canal on Friday.
He said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA, City Hall) would raise the dyke along the lower Hok Wa Canal from 2.50 metres above mean sea level to 3 metres and widen the dyke’s base by tomorrow, one day earlier than scheduled.
City Hall will ask the First Army Area headquarters to provide manpower, and districts with no flooding problem were ordered to send workers to help build the dyke higher and wider.
Sukhumbhand said he ordered the Sai Mai district office to announce to residents that 200 households near the dyke along lower Hok Wa Canal and 1,200 households on Klong Song Canal should move to shelters provided by the BMA for their safety.
The governor explained that it was not evacuation alert but said it was to inform the residents to move from their homes for their safety.
The Bangkok governor said the BMA would work around the clock and was scheduled to make its next press briefing at 9pm at Bangkok City Hall.
