The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been accelerating efforts to drain water from the city’s canals into the Chao Phraya River, ahead of the arrival of more water runoff from the north and more rain forecast for the coming days.
For the northern part of Bangkok, which includes Don Mueang and Lak Si among other districts, the Prem Prachakon Canal, which intersects with Bang Khen Canal near Thevasunthorn Temple, is the main channel through which water will be drained into the Chao Phraya at the Rama VII Bridge. Two massive additional water pumps, borrowed from the Water Resources Department, have been installed to speed up the draining effort, according to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
The governor, who inspected the operations in Prem Prachakon Canal this morning (Thursday), said that level of the Chao Phraya River is rising steadily, as water is being released through the upstream Chao Phraya Dam, in Chai Nat province, at an increased rate of about 2,800m3/sec to maintain a safe level in the reservoir.
Meanwhile, more rain has been reported in Rangsit and Pathum Thani, making it necessary for the city administration to accelerate the effort to drain water out of the city’s canals.
He said that it was fortunate that Bangkok was spared the full wrath of tropical storm Noru last night and today, with the city seeing less rainfall than in several north-eastern provinces hit by the storm.
