File photo: Flood in a northern province of Thailand
While some riverside communities in Pakkret district of Nonthaburi province have been flooded by overflows from the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has offered his assurance that the city is safe from flooding, unless the volume of water being discharged through the Chao Phraya Dam in Chainat province exceeds 3,000m3/s.
Residents in some communities, such as Bang Phut Samakkhi 2 and another located next to a Chinese shrine, told Thai PBS reporters that their communities have been inundated since yesterday, but that they had already moved their belongings and cars to higher ground.
“Ubon”, a resident of the Chinese shrine community, said that the ground floor of his house is submerged and his whole family has moved to the second floor. He noted, however, that the floodwater is not as deep as it was in 2011.
Another resident, “Or”, complained that she has had to stop selling food, because her ground floor is flooded and the toilet is now unusable.
Meanwhile, Governor Chadchart said that there is no immediate threat of serious flooding in the capital, because the volume of water flowing down from the Chao Phraya Dam remains at about 2,200m3/s, which is below the tipping point of 3,000m3/s.
He said that the city administration is, however, watching for the effects of the high tide on October 20th, adding that it is not a major concern because, by then, rainfall will have reduced.
For the large Rongsee community, which is not protected by concrete embankments, the government said that city officials have reinforced sandbag embankments and built wooden bridges, as a means for residents to enter and exit the community.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported yesterday that 44 provinces across the country have been flooded since August 16th, but the situation is now returning to normal in all but 19.
Altogether 242,558 households have been affected by the widespread flooding, 52 people have died and 28 injured.
The provinces which remain flooded include Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Tak, Phitsanuloke, Nakhon Sawan, Sukhothai, Udon Thani, Kalasin, Chaiyaphum, Maha Sarakham, Ubon Ratchathani, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom.
