City System Can't Support Flood Test: Deputy Bangkok Governor

[webfact]

FLOODING

City system can't support flood test: deputy BKK governor

PRAPHAN JINDALERT-UDOMDEE, ANAPAT DEECHUAY

THE NATION

Teerachon

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Bangkok Governor Teerachon Manomaiphibul warned the government yesterday against plans to divert water from upriver through the heart of the capital to the sea.

In his Facebook account, he wrote: "(His Majesty) said the runoff water should not be brought into city centres be it Saen Saeb, Lat Phrao and other canals in the inner zone of Bangkok because the capital's waterdrainage system has been designed to deal with rainfall only."

Teerachon did not agree with the government and its Water and Flood Management Commission's (WFMC) decision to test drainage by pushing water into the Lat Phrao Canal.

"Doing so will just bring tears to Thais again," he said. The WFMC carried out a drainage test last Wednesday by channelling water into Bangkok's west. Another test involving Lat Phrao Canal was due to take place last Friday but called off in the wake of downpours.

However, the WFMC has not given up on the drainage test. The government said flooding in some areas of Bangkok late last week was a result of heavy rain, not the drainage test.

Speaking in his capacity as a member of a WFMC subpanel, Hydro and Agro Infomatics Institute director Royol Chitdon said cooperation was also needed from communities for authorities to efficiently manage the water situation.

He pointed out that more than 90,000 people had encroached on the banks of Lat Phrao Canal

Royol dismissed Teerachon's suggestion that the drainage test arranged by the WFMC caused flooding in Bangkok.

"Why has he raised such an allegation? In fact, the water-drainage test preparations helped a lot when Bangkok faced heavy downpours," he said.

Pheu Thai Bangkok MP Jirayu Huangsap attacked Teerachon for politicising the drainage test.

"If he (Teerachon) really knows so [much] about water management, he should ask Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra to appoint him as Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) reprerepresentative in the WFMC," Jirayu said. "If Teerachon is so good, why has Sukhambhand chosen to send Deputy Bangkok Governor Wallop Suwandee to the WFMC?"

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra dismissed concerns that the central government and BMA may not cooperate well in the mission to prevent further flooding. "We have managed the situation via the WFMC and it has unity," she said. "Different individuals may have different opinions. But there is no inconsistency about information released officially by the WFMC."

-- The Nation 2012-09-11

[BookMan]

"If he (Teerachon) really knows so [much] about water management, he should ask Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra to appoint him as Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) reprerepresentative in the WFMC," Jirayu said. "If Teerachon is so good, why has Sukhambhand chosen to send Deputy Bangkok Governor Wallop Suwandee to the WFMC?"

It would be a shock to everyone to discover that any political appointment was done on merit.

Look at Science minister Plodrasop as an example

[theblether]

Is anyone ever appointed in Thailand on merit?

If they were, we wouldn't see and heat so many acts of stupidity

[Thai at Heart]

So the system only does rainfall, they now claim.

[dcutman]

So the system only does rainfall, they now claim.

I think it would be a good idea to test all the canals, just to see what they can take. Maybe when the next big event happens there will not be so many mistakes.

Never mind, TIT.

[Thai at Heart]

So the system only does rainfall, they now claim.

I think it would be a good idea to test all the canals, just to see what they can take. Maybe when the next big event happens there will not be so many mistakes.

Never mind, TIT.

When the next one happens, your boing under anyway, the difference is duration. Those who were flooded were under for a month. Maybe next time it's 2weeks but doesn't make it any easier in reality. The damage is the same.

The dams are the issue.

[Tatsujin]

The (mis)management of it all is the issue.

[asiawatcher]

Start by clearing the 90,000 squatters on the Lad Prao canal. Turning a blind eye to these ongoing problems is sheer madness.

[Payboy]

So the system only does rainfall, they now claim.

Only light to moderate.

[TwoDogz]

Disappointing to see such a negative post from you, I had come to expect only the best.

Is anyone ever appointed in Thailand on merit?

If they were, we wouldn't see and heat so many acts of stupidity

[Thai at Heart]

The (mis)management of it all is the issue.

Well look at who we have, Central Govt, Science Minsitry, Irrigation department, agriculture department, FROC (Under another name), and the Bangkok Government all with their own agendas both politically and personally. To say there is a "central command" only goes so far until the Bangkok govt gets put into a squeeze, closes the gates and keeps the water in Ayuttaya.

Budgets are spread all over the place between regional, central and Bangkok govt, to the extent that a flood wall collapses in Sukhothai, and boing another so called crisis despite the fact that Sukhothai always floods. There is no co-ordinated plan to take the entire waterway system under one roof and give them complete control. To be perfectly frank, I don't know who it should be under, but going like this, it is not likely to deliver any type of result that really works.

To say there will never ever be another flood is nonsense, but they still haven't even explained what is the cogent plan to mitigate a situation like last year other than dredging a bit downstream of where it occured last year and putting up some flood walls. People were up to their ears for weeks on end last year, so a 50% improvement would be being up to their waist for weeks on end. Yes, the dams contributed to the mess, but that then means that farmers have to accept that there will be times in the future when they can't plant endless crops of rice, because to do so risks them running out of water.

As for building walls around the estates, well, this is just another mess waiting to happen.

[ricardofel]

This country is so screwed up. Politicians don't care about the peoples welfare...only lining their pockets with MORE money.

[theblether]

Disappointing to see such a negative post from you, I had come to expect only the best.

Is anyone ever appointed in Thailand on merit?

If they were, we wouldn't see and heat so many acts of stupidity

I'm disappointed I misspelled the word " hear "..............otherwise I stand by my post.

[airconsult]

Perhaps they should have asked him why the additional 4 giant drainage tunnels haven't been started/completed? Admittedly work began on the first in 2001, but the Guv was quite happy to be photographed opening it in 2010 and taking the credit....

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010/11/12/national/Giant-tunnels-to-ease-Bangkok-flood-risk-30142049.html

In reality - the problem is the contracts written by BMA for the tunnels - the construction company faces too many penalties even if delays are due to BMA.

The company that built the first one stated that it would not bid for the rest as it lost too much money.

[scotbeve]

So the system only does rainfall, they now claim.

One would think that the BMA mafia would have forwarded this info instead of being huffy-puffy chested in the piss contest they had with the government during the last floods.

[draftvader]

I'm not sure that many of us believed that anything would come from the previous 10 months of announcements declaring that they would sort out this problem. The best hope we had was that some of the "hot air" would help to evaporate the water.

In short, we're alone on this one. If the water comes you had better be clear about how this will work for you. In some ways this is easier. We know not to expect saving so we can work out how to do it for yourselves.

One simple piece of advice - Tins keep, so start adding a couple or more into each shop now. Make sure that you have a good supply of cooking fuel (camping gas canisters for condos, LARGE LPG canisters for homes). There will be no shortage of water and there is nothing that a 5 minute rolling boil won't kill and a piece of cloth won't filter.

[MrKrabbe]

I'm not sure that many of us believed that anything would come from the previous 10 months of announcements declaring that they would sort out this problem. The best hope we had was that some of the "hot air" would help to evaporate the water.

In short, we're alone on this one. If the water comes you had better be clear about how this will work for you. In some ways this is easier. We know not to expect saving so we can work out how to do it for yourselves.

One simple piece of advice - Tins keep, so start adding a couple or more into each shop now. Make sure that you have a good supply of cooking fuel (camping gas canisters for condos, LARGE LPG canisters for homes). There will be no shortage of water and there is nothing that a 5 minute rolling boil won't kill and a piece of cloth won't filter.

bon appetit

the chemicals spilled into the water you cant boil of or filter with a cloth.

and i don't think that a reverse osmosis plant is available for people like you and me.

[SOTIRIOS]

....how could they be so inane....maybe this is intentional after all........bring about a national crisis........no time to complain about anything else.....

[Soutpeel]

....how could they be so inane....maybe this is intentional after all........bring about a national crisis........no time to complain about anything else.....

and so the conspiracy theories start....wouldnt a more reasonable explantation be incompetance and stupidity..

[draftvader]

I'm not sure that many of us believed that anything would come from the previous 10 months of announcements declaring that they would sort out this problem. The best hope we had was that some of the "hot air" would help to evaporate the water.

In short, we're alone on this one. If the water comes you had better be clear about how this will work for you. In some ways this is easier. We know not to expect saving so we can work out how to do it for yourselves.

One simple piece of advice - Tins keep, so start adding a couple or more into each shop now. Make sure that you have a good supply of cooking fuel (camping gas canisters for condos, LARGE LPG canisters for homes). There will be no shortage of water and there is nothing that a 5 minute rolling boil won't kill and a piece of cloth won't filter.

bon appetit

the chemicals spilled into the water you cant boil of or filter with a cloth.

and i don't think that a reverse osmosis plant is available for people like you and me.

Good info and good point. Start to fill those containers at the first sign of trouble and keep emptying and refilling them up to the day your water supply is compromised.

[hellodolly]

The (mis)management of it all is the issue.

Bangkok being in the way is the main problem.