Some Sluice Gates To Be Opened Wider: Nonthaburi

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FLOOD CONFLICTS

Some sluice gates to be opened wider

The Nation November 22, 2011 6:00 am

Flood Relief Operation Centre yesterday responded to a request that the sluice gates of a number of canals be opened wider in order to ease the flood woes of Nonthaburi residents.

The Maha Sawat Canal gate, for example, will now be opened to a width of 1 metre, against the previous 50 centimetres.

The governor said the opening of the sluice gates of Bang Or and Bang Phlat canals would also be allowed, so as to take more water from Nonthaburi into Bangkok.

With the severe flooding having dragged on for months, many victims have been trying to negotiate for an opportunity to drain flood water out of their areas sooner rather than later.

Thousands of Nonthaburi residents recently gathered to press for their leaders to negotiate with Sukhumbhand.

The Bangkok governor yesterday responded positively to their request, but was unable to meet all their demands.

He explained that opening the Thawi Watthana Canal sluice gate to a width of 1 metre was not possible, and that it would be left at 50cm instead.

"We have to take into account western Bangkok's water-drainage capacity," he added.

In a related development, more than 30 representatives of people in Bangkok's Don Mueang and Lak Si districts, as well as Pathum Thani residents, yesterday met with Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) officials for about an hour to press their demands. Their communities have been heavily flooded for more than one month.

One of the flood victims' representatives, Pongthep Sirisap, later confirmed the FROC had agreed to build a new flood wall under the Rangsit Bridge.

The new wall will stretch for 1.5 kilometres along the Rangsit Canal from Saipanya Rangsit School to the Chualongkorn sluice gate.

"The FROC has also promised to urgently drain flood water out of our areas within seven days," Pongthep said.

He added that the agency would provide 10 pumps for his group's immediate use in pushing the run-off water into Premprachakorn Canal.

Anond Snidvong, who represented the FROC at the meeting, said: "We are doing everything for the maximum public benefit and are proceeding in line with proper principles. We will do what we can for people, but we have to do it at the right time, too."

He said he believed the flood crisis was already in its final phase. The flood-management mission was already 90-per-cent complete, he added.

Anond also believed that flood water in western Bangkok will |subside within a few weeks.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Thirachon Manomaipiboon, meanwhile, expects inundation in the capital, including the heavily flooded Sai Mai and Don Muang districts, will end within seven days.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said he would talk today to Sukhumbhand to discuss |remedial measures to assist flood-hit people.

Yongyuth met the Nonthaburi provincial governor yesterday. Asked about Nonthaburi residents' demands that their hometowns |be declared special flood-hit |zones, so as to claim extra compensation and help, he merely said: "I cannot disclose details now. There will be a screening committee to consider the extra remedial measures."

The flood victims from Bangkok's Don Muang and Lak Si districts, as well as those from Pathum Thani, want the government to compensate them for 50 per cent of their actual damages, but not exceeding Bt500,000 per household.

-- The Nation 2011-11-22

[sparebox2]

Please don't.

Let me enjoy a few more dry days in my soi. Please.

[lujanit]

Within a period of less than a week we have been told that the flood will subside within:

1. A week

2. By the first of December

3. and today 2 to 3 weeks

So take your pick. My guess is January 1 2012

I watched a show on TV last evening which was basically a confrontation between angry residents and some official from Nontaburi over the sluice gates at Maha Sawat. This really stupid official told residents they had to invest in pumps to pump out their villages. To where? Where we are in Suan Pak 32 there is water for miles around us. To get to Suan Pak bridge from our house is about 1.5 kilometres of water. The boat owners are making a fortune. From what we are charged (150 to 200 baht each way) I estimate they make a couple of k a day.

Interestingly the Nontaburi Governor would not meet the residents.

[robblok]

Within a period of less than a week we have been told that the flood will subside within:

1. A week

2. By the first of December

3. and today 2 to 3 weeks

So take your pick. My guess is January 1 2012

I watched a show on TV last evening which was basically a confrontation between angry residents and some official from Nontaburi over the sluice gates at Maha Sawat. This really stupid official told residents they had to invest in pumps to pump out their villages. To where? Where we are in Suan Pak 32 there is water for miles around us. To get to Suan Pak bridge from our house is about 1.5 kilometres of water. The boat owners are making a fortune. From what we are charged (150 to 200 baht each way) I estimate they make a couple of k a day.

Interestingly the Nontaburi Governor would not meet the residents.

Yes its crazy, they are blocking water drainage to the river, only because the canal goes through west Bangkok. So they want the water to evaporate. I am lucky here water is down from 70cm to 30 cm. (at 2cm a day).

Now we finally find out the reason its going so slow is because drainage through canals is blocked because of fear for water in BKK. Anyway around here people are still in 1 meter or more water seems not fair to me.

The pump remark is crazy here they are pumping water out of the village but it will come up through the drains again for sure.

[TantraMantra]

Within a period of less than a week we have been told that the flood will subside within:

1. A week

2. By the first of December

3. and today 2 to 3 weeks

So take your pick. My guess is January 1 2012

I watched a show on TV last evening which was basically a confrontation between angry residents and some official from Nontaburi over the sluice gates at Maha Sawat. This really stupid official told residents they had to invest in pumps to pump out their villages. To where? Where we are in Suan Pak 32 there is water for miles around us. To get to Suan Pak bridge from our house is about 1.5 kilometres of water. The boat owners are making a fortune. From what we are charged (150 to 200 baht each way) I estimate they make a couple of k a day.

Interestingly the Nontaburi Governor would not meet the residents.

couple of K a day is little...they had the foresight to get a boat...they should be appreciated not criticized....what would you do without them?

[Jude23]

Same for me.... left my home 4 weeks ago, from 40 cm till 150cm, now around 70 cm. They don't want evacuate more water to keep the feet of Bangkok dry. I'm sure u know how much the water which stay there, smell, full of bacteries, destroying everything you have on the ground floor.

I've the luck to have a bit of money to take care of this when I get back, but I saw all around my areas, people who living day by day had everything gone during those weeks, water, food will not help them to rebuild a life so easy. I'm sure that if every one of us were ready to sacrifice a bit, things will be better.

18 years ago, Bangkok was flooded almost every years, for a day or two.... as everyone in central plain, now the poorest must sacrifice for the richest (again)

Sure that when I will be back at lam Luk Ka this week end, I will feel the anger of people there, with the satisfaction of the Bangkok dry ones

Within a period of less than a week we have been told that the flood will subside within:

1. A week

2. By the first of December

3. and today 2 to 3 weeks

So take your pick. My guess is January 1 2012

I watched a show on TV last evening which was basically a confrontation between angry residents and some official from Nontaburi over the sluice gates at Maha Sawat. This really stupid official told residents they had to invest in pumps to pump out their villages. To where? Where we are in Suan Pak 32 there is water for miles around us. To get to Suan Pak bridge from our house is about 1.5 kilometres of water. The boat owners are making a fortune. From what we are charged (150 to 200 baht each way) I estimate they make a couple of k a day.

Interestingly the Nontaburi Governor would not meet the residents.

Yes its crazy, they are blocking water drainage to the river, only because the canal goes through west Bangkok. So they want the water to evaporate. I am lucky here water is down from 70cm to 30 cm. (at 2cm a day).

Now we finally find out the reason its going so slow is because drainage through canals is blocked because of fear for water in BKK. Anyway around here people are still in 1 meter or more water seems not fair to me.

The pump remark is crazy here they are pumping water out of the village but it will come up through the drains again for sure.

[robblok]

Same for me.... left my home 4 weeks ago, from 40 cm till 150cm, now around 70 cm. They don't want evacuate more water to keep the feet of Bangkok dry. I'm sure u know how much the water which stay there, smell, full of bacteries, destroying everything you have on the ground floor.

I've the luck to have a bit of money to take care of this when I get back, but I saw all around my areas, people who living day by day had everything gone during those weeks, water, food will not help them to rebuild a life so easy. I'm sure that if every one of us were ready to sacrifice a bit, things will be better.

18 years ago, Bangkok was flooded almost every years, for a day or two.... as everyone in central plain, now the poorest must sacrifice for the richest (again)

Sure that when I will be back at lam Luk Ka this week end, I will feel the anger of people there, with the satisfaction of the Bangkok dry ones

Within a period of less than a week we have been told that the flood will subside within:

1. A week

2. By the first of December

3. and today 2 to 3 weeks

So take your pick. My guess is January 1 2012

I watched a show on TV last evening which was basically a confrontation between angry residents and some official from Nontaburi over the sluice gates at Maha Sawat. This really stupid official told residents they had to invest in pumps to pump out their villages. To where? Where we are in Suan Pak 32 there is water for miles around us. To get to Suan Pak bridge from our house is about 1.5 kilometres of water. The boat owners are making a fortune. From what we are charged (150 to 200 baht each way) I estimate they make a couple of k a day.

Interestingly the Nontaburi Governor would not meet the residents.

Yes its crazy, they are blocking water drainage to the river, only because the canal goes through west Bangkok. So they want the water to evaporate. I am lucky here water is down from 70cm to 30 cm. (at 2cm a day).

Now we finally find out the reason its going so slow is because drainage through canals is blocked because of fear for water in BKK. Anyway around here people are still in 1 meter or more water seems not fair to me.

The pump remark is crazy here they are pumping water out of the village but it will come up through the drains again for sure.

I have money to take care of this, its more the inconvenience. Of course nobody likes spending money on something like this. But here the water will be gone soon. Living in a dry house for over a week. We are in a higher area then the rest. But I must say the government does not know a thing.

First a 6 meter breach will flood BKK, but later a 10m breach is ok. They just want to exclude all risks until a mob forms. They should not stop the water from draining. Its wrong, here they closed one of the gates that goes to the river because it goes through West BKK. Crazy it would save the people here weeks of suffering. Its not like that canal will flood the whole of West BKK.

Anyway i am ok already as the house is dry and most parts in the streets are ok now. Only 30cm not 70cm. People dont understand that a little bit of flooding is liveable. But above a certain limit is is not. So blocking water making it higher is not a good idea. They should drain it ASAP even taking risks.

[robblok]

I take part back of what i said, they say that water is coming in from the river (did not know i thought only from the North overland).

They also stated they would not open the gates wider until the river stops overflowing. I don't know if there is sense in that or not, they also state they could drain more water if they could deploy more pumps. Strangely they don't say why they cant.

This is all from an article in the newspaper that cant be named here. They expect to drain a lot more in December because the river will be lower.

I really hope so for the people around here. Further from the road, here its really improving a lot. But what i hear from others that further away its still a meter deep.

Thing is if they don't open the gates wider, they still have to take in all that water later. Better to take as much as you can now so you don't have to take so much later.