City Hall has made repairs in more than 500 of 700 areas at high risk of flooding in Bangkok, with officials stating that most low-lying areas can be drained within an hour.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that Monday’s heavy rain had flooded many areas in the city with the highest water level of 38mm recorded in the Thon Buri area.
The deluge was reported to have caused congestion Monday morning on Chaeng Watthana Road, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Bang Khen Roundabout and Rat Burana Road, among others. However, most floodwater was drained within an hour.
Mr Chadchart said that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had been continuously dredging the drainage system all across the city. However, work was delayed due to many staff from the operation team falling ill with Covid-19.
”More than 500 of 700 flood-prone spots in Bangkok have been fixed and many water pumps were installed to help drain city floods as soon as possible,” he said.
Mr Chadchart also assigned related agencies to handle city floods and look out for commercial and household waste not properly disposed of along the drainage system.
To solve the flood issue in the long run, Mr Chadchart said that the BMA has drafted a blueprint for a newly-designed drainage network flowing out of the city via canals or water tunnels. However, canal communities remain a challenge as dredging often affects the areas they inhabit, he said.
Mr Chadchart said it is crucial to relocate the people living around canals to areas where they can have houses on firm foundations. The BMA will work with the Royal Irrigation Department to improve canal dredging as well as canal community relocation, he said
On Monday the Bangkok Flood Control Centre reported that, from 6-6.30am, Bangkok had moderate rain in Thon Buri areas along the Chao Phraya River, Bang Sue district, Chatuchak district, Phaya Thai district, Ratchathewi district and Pathumwan district.
Bang Bon district was reported as the area with the most rainfall, 37.5-38.5mm.