Bangkok governor requests water pumps from environment ministry to help with inundation

[webfact]

 

by Namo Vananupong
    
BANGKOK (NNT) - 6 large water pumps are now being deployed in certain areas of Bangkok to drain excess water from the capital city. The environment minister expects the pumps to help lower water levels in Bangkok once they are operating at full capacity.

 

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Warawut Silpa-archa revealed Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt called him to ask for support in the form of water pumps. He thus ordered the Department of Water Resources to install six 30-inch water pumps at certain locations.

 

One of the pumps was making its way to Phra Khanong pumping station and another was being installed in the Srinagarindra-Bang Na area. The minister said running 3-4 of the large, 30-inch pumps at full capacity will be able to help reduce water levels in Bangkok.

 

Mr. Warawut also spoke of an impending influx of water from north of Bangkok. He said he needs to discuss the potential for drainage of each canal in Bangkok with the city’s governor.

 

Periods of high sea level will also make water discharge difficult and necessitate the use of more water pumps. Nonetheless, the minister said the Department of Water Resources will gladly provide support to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220914085418232

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-09-14

 

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[PETERTHEEATER]

Ring Ring

Governor to Enviro Minister - 'Hello. Could you send me over a pair of pumps'

Enviro Minister to Governor - 'Pumps? What you need Governor is a pair of Wellington Boots'

Edited September 14, 2022 by PETERTHEEATER
Correct typo

[rovinman]

I was sure that in the last flood 2011, that they would have installed pumps ALL over Bangkok, for just such a future flood, ready to be turned on at the flick of a switch  ?

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, rovinman said:

I was sure that in the last flood 2011, that they would have installed pumps ALL over Bangkok, for just such a future flood, ready to be turned on at the flick of a switch  ?

In the UK we’re not prepared for the snow when we have a freak winter every 10 years…

The upkeep of the equipment is too costly & the equipment is aged by the time we next need it.

 

If Bkk can clear sewers then pump maintenance is not going to be high up on your agenda…. Until the next ‘10 yr flood’ that is… 

 

[AsianAtHeart]

Bangkok would really be served to take lessons from New Orleans.  An excellent article on the New Orleans' drainage system, written before Hurricane Katrina, can be found here--and it's a very interesting read, even though it's a little long:

 

https://www.inventionandtech.com/content/pumps-new-orleans-1

 

Here's a juicy tidbit from the linked article (1992):
 

Quote

Today there are twentyone pumping stations in New Orleans, with a combined pumping capacity of 47,000 cubic feet of water per second. Their combined force would propel a ten-foot column of water a mile and a half in the air. Storm run-off collects in canals under the city streets and is moved by a set of pumping stations to the edges of Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne, to the north of the city. There a different set of pumping stations takes over and lifts the runoff over the twenty-five-foot levees.

 

As of the time of that writing, New Orleans had over twenty 12- and 14-foot pumps in the city.  Compare that with these "six 30-inch water pumps" for Bangkok, called "large" in this news article.

 

I'd say Bangkok has some room for improvement. 

[KIngsofisaan]

Where exactly are they pumping all the water to?

[KIngsofisaan]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

In the UK we’re not prepared for the snow when we have a freak winter every 10 years…

The upkeep of the equipment is too costly & the equipment is aged by the time we next need it.

 

If Bkk can clear sewers then pump maintenance is not going to be high up on your agenda…. Until the next ‘10 yr flood’ that is… 

 

Bangkok streets flood every single time there is heavy rainfall.

 

No 10 years about it

[MrJ2U]

Your just pumping the water into a river thats already overflowing its banks.  It's like bailing out a boat that's already sunk.

 

Bangkok, as everyone knows is sinking.  Bangkok Post has recently mentioned 2-3 cm a year.

 

 

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr. Warawut also spoke of an impending influx of water from north of Bangkok. He said he needs to discuss the potential for drainage of each canal in Bangkok with the city’s governor.

That's a big ask...