PM meets Apirak to discuss flood fears
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont yesterday discussed measures to solve Bangkok's flood problems and inspected some affected areas.
Following a meeting with Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin at City Hall at 3pm, Surayud and Apirak visited a water-pumping facility in Phra Khanong district for 30 minutes and then inspected flooding in Krungthep Kreetha Road in Bang Kapi district. Surayud said he was seeking to educate himself about the issue and give moral support to officials. He said the city had to brace itself for more flooding throughout this seven-day period, but the governor had already made enough preparations to make him and residents feel confident. Surayud later visited eastern Bangkok's flooded Pattanakan area. The PM said he would today discuss flood problems upcountry with the Interior Ministry, which would be assisted by the Supreme Command Headquarters as much as possible. He was due to board a helicopter at 8am today to inspect flooding in Sing Buri and Angthong. Meanwhile, the Royal Irrigation Department warned Chao Phya River basin provinces to heighten flood barriers because the river was rising due to northern floodwater, heavy rainfall and seasonal high sea tides. With tides expected to be at their highest from tomorrow until Tuesday, Bangkok authorities have installed sandbags and three-metre flood barriers. Since the amount of water passing through Ayutthaya yesterday was 3,112 cubic metres per second, some low-lying areas along the river would be affected, but not inner Bangkok, said Banpot Hongthong, the Agriculture Ministry's permanent secretary. More water has been released through gates at the Noi River, Suphan River and Chainat-Pasak Canal into the irrigation system on both sides of the Chao Phya - 196 cubic metres per second on the eastern side and 463 cubic metres per second on the western side. The irrigation department has also pumped water from the Chao Phya to Nakhon Nayok River at 2.28 million cubic metres per day, to Bang Prakong River at 6.71 million cubic metres and to the sea at 21.87 million cubic metres. It has installed 124 water pumps and 24 water-alleviating devices at flood-prone areas in Greater Bangkok.
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