Officials and volunteers have been mobilised to make an additional 100,000 sandbags to reinforce the embankment and secure Nonthaburi municipality against the rising Chao Phraya River.
Somnuek Thanadechakul, Nonthaburi’s municipal mayor, said officials and volunteers were put to work filling sand in bags as the province races against time to raise the anti-flood embankment higher and keep up with surging waters from the Chao Phraya River, which has burst its banks in many areas.
The river is steadily rising after the upstream Chao Phraya barrage in Chai Nat came under pressure, discharging more water as it receives large volumes of water from the North.
Mr Somnuek said yesterday more than 250,000 sandbags have been stacked up to create a long embankment to protect riverside communities within the municipality.
The additional sandbags will raise the level of the embankment to 3.2 metres.
In case of heavy rain, the municipality has installed water pumps in flood-prone areas to siphon out excess water.
At the same time, water in the canals connected to the 12 water pumps and sluice stations were being drained to create further space to receive more rainwater.
Mr Somnuek added the municipal office has distributed 3,700 relief bags to residents in 17 communities, who have all been stranded in their flooded homes.
The municipal mayor said he was particularly concerned about the Nakhon In community where residents have refused the office’s request to build an embankment in their area.
Nonthaburi governor Suthee Thongyam has declared the Chao Phraya riverfront areas in the provinces as flood disaster zones.
So far, the zones cover Pak Kret, Muang and Bang Yai districts.
Nonthaburi is one of the Central Plains Region provinces bearing the heavy brunt from floods.