Bangkok in danger of flooding unless old drainage improved, say academics

[webfact]

Bangkok in danger of flooding unless old drainage improved, say academics

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION 

 

 

BANGKOK will not be safe from the severe impact of major storms unless there is a huge improvement in the capital’s drainage system and canal network, academics have warned as more heavy rain is predicted for the capital.

A group of academics on water management, disaster prevention and city planning said at a public seminar at Chulalongkorn University yesterday that Bangkok’s drainage system was old, poorly maintained and unable to drain the water adequately, which increases the risk of Bangkok being severely flooded if another storm hits.

 

Thailand Global Warming Academy director Thanawat Charupongsakul said that Bangkok lacked the preparedness to cope with a storm. The widespread flooding in 55 areas of the city last Saturday showed that Bangkok could not withstand even a portion of the deluge and it took a day to drain the floodwater.

 

“It is not frequent for Bangkok to be directly hit by tropical storm, but the city is situated on the storm route and was hit directly several times in the past, such as in 1952 and 1983,” Thanawat said.

 

 

He said that the precipitation within a six-hour period on Saturday night exceeded 214 millimetres and broke a 10-year record. 

 

If the rain was measured per hour, it was only 40 millimetres, which was within Bangkok’s drainage capacity, but it still flooded and showed the inability of the system to handle the volume, he said.

 

He warned that Bangkok will suffer badly from flooding if a storm hits the city directly with up to 300 millimetres of rain per hour.

 

“Bangkok’s sewage system is already more than 30 years old. It is suffering from a lack of maintenance, land sinking problems, and garbage and sediment clogging, which greatly reduce the drainage capacity,” Thanawat said.

 

“Moreover, the construction of a floodwall along the Chao Phraya River also increases the water level in the river higher than the water level in the drainage system and canals, which makes the water drainage to the river hard and slow,” he said.

 

He also pointed out that the lack of separation between sewage from households and rainwater drainage also hinders drainage, because more than 10 million citizens in Bangkok release around 6 million cubic metres of wastewater into the system every day.

 

Terdkiat Sakkhamduang , the former chairman of Thai Urban Designers Association, suggested that Bangkok’s drainage system has to be entirely improved and the city plan also has to be revised.

 

Water pumps ready

 

“We have learned a lesson from the flaws in Bangkok’s city plan that prioritise too much in replacing canals with expanding the road network. We should learn from our past and restore the canals, as the canal network can drain water far better than the sewage system,” Terdkiat said.

 

Bangkok governor Pol General Aswin Kwanmuang warned yesterday that Bangkok would face more heavy rains overnight, which may be as severe as the downpour last Saturday. He said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had prepared for the downpour by getting the water pumps ready and lowering the water level in the canals.

 

 

Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda also affirmed that Bangkok residents should not be worried over the potential danger of flooding from northern run-offs, as the Royal Irrigation Department was in control of water in dams and 12 water-retention fields in upstream areas could absorb floodwater before it reached the capital. 

 

Chai Nat’s Chao Phraya Dam was currently receiving about 2,500 cubic metres of water per second, which was in balance with the level it released, he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30329529

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-18

[Crossy]

One assumes that the "academics" majored in The Bleeding Obvious.

 

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

One assumes that the "academics" majored in The Bleeding Obvious.

 

You beat me to it. I was about to say that a good education can be obatained in total blindness.

[Wiggy]

No, really? Well, I'm glad the academics are on the ball as I never would've worked that out for myself. They're worth every penny.

 

Thanks to all the academic boffins out there. 

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

One assumes that the "academics" majored in The Bleeding Obvious.

 

Well, in fact they state the obviously wrong remedy.

If it rains up north, there is nothing to hold the water in check.

What is needed is millions of trees!

All over the country to hold the rainwater.

The riverbeds, all the way, need to be widened, overflow areas need to be created.

Then, Bangkok needs to be made a polder, huge dikes around the city and along the river.

Pumping stations and stream canals to release the rain fallen in Bangkok into the sea must be constructed.

The trouble in Bangkok is not only the rain fallng in Bangkok but also the rain fallng up country.

You don't need academics to tell that, ask any Dutchman.

[Crossy]

Just now, hansnl said:

ask any Dutchman.

It was offered (possibly several times), the Thais, typically, refused the assistance.

[klauskunkel]

Bangkok is in danger of everything, because you have put useless people in positions of authority. City planning - useless. Law enforcement - useless. Law making - useless. 

[phantomfiddler]

One never hears about flooding in downtown Penang, Rangoon, or Singapore. Why ? The British designed and installed drainage systems that worked :)

Thailand is so far behind other countries when it comes to rational thought and appropriate construction, without billions of dollars being siphoned off into greedy pockets,

that the prospects for any solution is far far away. Very sad

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Gosh, these academics are good!

[boonchu]

Introduction of storm water retention pits on all new sites would allow a slower release of storm water from these sites.

 

[Kawapete]

Is this a repost from 2011?

Maintenance does not exist in Thailand, nor does proper use of funds. 

[RichardColeman]

One has to ponder that the Romans didn't quite go far enough in their conquest of the world, maybe they would have the basis for a good sewer system if they had invaded Thailand. Though I am sure it would still be the old roman one working with a few sticking plasters added by Thai maintenance.

[thurien]

another bunch of academics suggested ages ago already: Move all vital (intellectual) centres out of BKK up the hill to Nakhon Ratchasima

[Ulic]

So in short, quit throwing garbage into the drains, ditches and klongs. Keep them

clear of garbage and water hyacinth, and coordinate water release from upriver

dams during the rainy season and Bangkok will not flood. Seems simple to me. 

[HooHaa]

this is silly.

it is obviously the fault of bangkoks many brothels

[nauseus]

“It is not frequent for Bangkok to be directly hit by tropical storm, but the city is situated on the storm route and was hit directly several times in the past, such as in 1952 and 1983,” Thanawat said.

 

Bangkok is not situated on a regular, established, tropical storm path. The 1983 storm was 'Kim', which followed an extremely rare track and was only just stronger then a tropical depression when it passed north of Bangkok. It was a freak. It caused damage and increased flood water levels that were already high from a strong SW Monsoon all over the country. Run-off from the north always raises the level of the river late in the year. It's more relevant to highlight the environmental and infrastructural issues of deforestation. water management, over-development and lack of new infrastructure (drainage) first. 

[Baerboxer]

9 hours ago, Crossy said:

One assumes that the "academics" majored in The Bleeding Obvious.

 

 

Can you get PhD's in that? 

 

 

[overherebc]

5 hours ago, boonchu said:

Introduction of storm water retention pits on all new sites would allow a slower release of storm water from these sites.

 

I really don't know where the water table/level is under Bangkok but I would think you don't have to dig very deep to find it.

Wasn't the whole area originally a great big swamp?

Dig a great big hole anywhere in BKK and I don't think it would take long to fill with water without any rain.