CHIANG MAI: At least 20 large pumps will be installed to help drain water from flood-hit Chiang Mai city.
Chiang Mai governor Nirat Pongsitthithavorn said on Tuesday that he would not wait for the floodwater to recede naturally. At least 20 large water pumps would be installed to help drain it off.
If there was no rain for three days, the water level would gradually recede. The situation was expected to normalise in one week, he said between visits to flooded areas.
Irrigation Office 1 said that a large amount of runoff from Chiang Dao and Mae Taeng districts had flowed into Muang district. This caused the level of the Ping River to rise by 1-2 centimetres per hour. Fortunately, the volume of water was not huge. The level of the Ping River at Nawarat Bridge was measured at 4.56 metres
Several areas in Muang district have been submerged since the Ping burst its banks and rain hammered the city on Monday. The worst flooding was in tambon Pa-dad in Muang district.