Thai Govt Pins Hopes On Water-Flow Push Machines, Barriers To Beat The Floods

[webfact]

Govt pins hopes on machines, barriers to beat the floods

CHULARAT SAENGPASSA

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

The Nation

Water-flow push machines and flood barriers will play a key role in the government's flood-prevention plan this year.

BANGKOK: -- After spending a massive amount of money on these items, the government is now fully confident the country, especially the economic zones, will be safe from serious inundation. Yet several water experts and civic groups in the northern region have their doubts.

In the lower Chao Phraya river basin, the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has increased the water drainage capacity to the sea by more than 76.7 million cubic metres of water per day as it installs 773 water-pumping machines to drain water. Over 500 of these are 12-inch pumping machines.

"This equipment is the key measure RID has prepared to deal with this year’s flood," Water and Flood Management Bureau’s director Thongplew Kongjun told The Nation.

Hydro and Agro Infomatics Institute director Royol Chitdon, who sits on a Water and Flood Management Commission sub-panel, said Bangkok could avoid flooding if the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) agreed to install the water-pumping and pushing machines to increase the capital's drainage capacity via the canals.

The Chulalongkorn Water Gate in Pathum Thani has been relocated to an area just outside Rangsit, which was hard hit by last year's flood.

Bangkok is in a low-lying area. Without the pumps, it would be difficult to drain water to the sea during the wet season.

BMA, therefore, has agreed to buy 50 water-pushing machines and plans to install them in its major canal by the end of this month. Also, the Royal Thai Navy Dockyard has produced another 40 water-pushing machines to help Bangkok drain the city.

A drainage test on September 7 in Lat Phrao canal had proved these machines could save the area from flooding caused by heavy downpours. They can drain floodwater in a canal at up to 17 cubic metres per second, Royol said.

However, he said a weakness in planning is that BMA staff have no expertise in using the machines. Also, the system that feeds water from the canals into the flood diversion tunnel needs to be improved.

Another important factor in the flood prevention fight is the embankment.

The government has allocated Bt24 billion for floodwalls and to raise the level of some 500 kilometres of roads. The mega projects cover Bangkok and adjacent provinces such as Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom.

Additionally, the Transport Minister has ordered a temporary embankment around Bangkok as a second defence to block flood flow into the capital.

Some 20 per cent of the work building this temporary embankment is complete and the entire project is due to be finished by the end of the month, Deputy Transport Minister Chatchart Sithipan said.

Veteran water expert Prasert Povichien, a committee member of the Thai Hydra Association, welcomed the government's move to rely on pumps. However he was not sure whether floodwall construction could really help.

"I believe that water-pumping machines are still the key to saving us from flooding this year," he said.

Prasert said Bangkok's existing canals were not designed to facilitate water flow to the sea because these waterways had served mainly agricultural and transport purposes in the past.

"These canals are not efficiently linked to Bangkok's much-touted giant water-drainage tunnels either. These canals can't fast push run-off water into the tunnels in the wake of downpours. That's why Bangkok has continued to experience flooding during heavy-rain days. So, we really have to pin hopes on the pumps," Prasert said.

-- The Nation 2012-09-20

[Thai at Heart]

Any pics, specs, of these ground breaking innovations.

T Really IT

[Moruya]

I would love to hear from a fluid engineer who can explain how all this is working in terms of type of flow, Reynolds number and viscosity.

[Buchholz]

Any pics, specs, of these ground breaking innovations.

T Really IT

video of the "Water-Flow Push Machines" in action

[KRS1]

let's see.....last year the Yingluck administration blamed the flood on the previous government.

Who will they blame it on this year?...Can't blame the previous government twice.

[FOODLOVER]

It's a boat without the pesky hull.

[asiawatcher]

What insanity would approve expenditure in the billions of Baht when they clearly make this statement... "BMA staff have no expertise in using the machines." Could always get a motorcycle taxi guy or two out of work I suppose. As for pumps 'pushing' water that would need the Queen Mary parked in the Lad Prao canal for any affect whatsoever.

[arthurboy]

I was going to write a rant about incompetence, corruption, idiocy etc. but haven't.

There's no point.

[Payboy]

a weakness in planning is that BMA staff have no expertise in using the machines

I'm sure a multi-million Baht study trip could easily sort that.

[Thai at Heart]

a weakness in planning is that BMA staff have no expertise in using the machines

I'm sure a multi-million Baht study trip could easily sort that.

This really does take the biscuit. Design a machine with a true effect of 0.00000001%, and then blame it on the operators. Absolutely classic situation.

[noob7]

let's see.....last year the Yingluck administration blamed the flood on the previous government.

Who will they blame it on this year?...Can't blame the previous government twice.

"Yingluck said the BMA should know best about the capacity of its giant drainage tunnels."

[OZEMADE]

let's see.....last year the Yingluck administration blamed the flood on the previous government.

Who will they blame it on this year?...Can't blame the previous government twice.

"Yingluck said the BMA should know best about the capacity of its giant drainage tunnels."

And she is probably right, they should know about the capacity of their giant drainage tunnels. Not the Prime Minister.

[Thai at Heart]

let's see.....last year the Yingluck administration blamed the flood on the previous government.

Who will they blame it on this year?...Can't blame the previous government twice.

"Yingluck said the BMA should know best about the capacity of its giant drainage tunnels."

And she is probably right, they should know about the capacity of their giant drainage tunnels. Not the Prime Minister.

A perfect example of the thai phrase, "up to you". This is the most misunderstood phrase on Thailand. It actually means, if you take responsibility,its your fault, and don't expect me to help, whilst i glory in your failure.

[Payboy]

a weakness in planning is that BMA staff have no expertise in using the machines

I'm sure a multi-million Baht study trip could easily sort that.

This really does take the biscuit. Design a machine with a true effect of 0.00000001%, and then blame it on the operators. Absolutely classic situation.

I had flashbacks of the GT200, only they can blame that one on fraudster farangs.

[inthefareast]

It is basically a boat with a bigger propeller. Great! Plan your vacation now the water is coming.

[ignis]

Great so where are they going to pump the water to ? or is that push the water to ?

​Last year they had 1.000's of pumps, the boffins on TV went to great lengths to show in detail where the water was being divert to, yet 100's of sq meter north of Bangkok were under water

Maybe well north of Bangkok push it to Cambodia ? or Burma ? maybe Pattaya needs a clean push it all there ?

[Morgo]

I guess governments from all over the world will be queuing up to buy Thai Water Pushing Machines. Stay tuned perpetual motion next.

[chrisinth]

Are there any other countries in the world using this water pushing technology? Serious question.

I think it was mentioned in an earlier post, if (IF) this proposed idea actually works, and the drainage system of Bkk is struggling with normal rainfall, where exactly is the 'pushed' water going to go that will not cause problems further down stream?? I think I understand the concept of increasing water movement, but also think that a few test runs would be appropriate to both prove their system and install confidence in the public.

[noob7]

Stay tuned perpetual motion next.

I thought, the water circle is one, already?

Or do you think, they wanna 'push' the water up north, that it can come again, and again, and again.....!

Anyone knows, the pushing machines, running on fuel, or electric? I think, on fuel, but....

What I think, what they need, is pumps, western countries are using for their pump storage station.

100-200Qm/s, a couple of them whould help, 'speed' up the flow of the water. Only some pipelines needed, into the ocean, on high high tide level.

[Pib]

Why are all of you complaining about the effectiveness of water push machines, bomb sniffers, etc., that the govt bought? You should do what most of the Thai population does regarding this use of taxpayer dollars...just ignore it by watching TV soap operas and comedy shows...and maybe even send an SMS to a friend talking about how pretty Pancake looked in her new soap opera. Lighten up!!...think like a Thai...relax...mai pen rai...the govt will do what the govt will do.

[puck2]

This year, the Yingluck government will get an invitation from Stockholm.

I heard it is on the top of a list for the new

Nobel Prize for Real Comedians

[Pimay1]

Why are all of you complaining about the effectiveness of water push machines, bomb sniffers, etc., that the govt bought? You should do what most of the Thai population does regarding this use of taxpayer dollars...just ignore it by watching TV soap operas and comedy shows...and maybe even send an SMS to a friend talking about how pretty Pancake looked in her new soap opera. Lighten up!!...think like a Thai...relax...mai pen rai...the govt will do what the govt will do.

Watching this government and their actions is exactly the same as watching a TV soap opera and comedy show. We have the PM "I don't know but will appoint a committee", Chalerm "I'm not drunk it is only ear medicine", Jutaporn , Weng and Thida "red shirt dynamic duo, it's our way or no way", Science minister Plod "former zoo manager", and absolutely nothing happens until the fugitive in Dubai is consulted first.

You can't make this stuff up.

[candid]

Every industry I ever worked in used large capacity pumps. Oil, sea water, mine water, everything that could be moved. But I never yet saw a water flow push machine.

[KireB]

Next thing you know they will propose laser heating devices to vaporize flood water. Maybe with a laser beam directed at an enormous mirror on top of a Shin Satellite. Costs 46 billion Baht!

[Pimay1]

Every industry I ever worked in used large capacity pumps. Oil, sea water, mine water, everything that could be moved. But I never yet saw a water flow push machine.

It is quite obvious you have never encountered the "Thai way" of moving (pushing) water. The US government is undoubtly planning to send a delegation of water experts to meet with PM Yingluck and Plodprasop for the purpose of purchasing thousands of the water pushing machines in order to be ready for the next flood crisis.

[chotthee]

This year, the Yingluck government will get an invitation from Stockholm.

I heard it is on the top of a list for the new

Nobel Prize for Real Comedians

Please don't insult Thai inventors.

Such invention have been used by many Royal Projects.

[emilyb]

In related news, the sandbag trucks are back around the Nonthaburi Pier area. It's not a massive effort (yet), but they're shoring up the areas directly on the riverfront already. I'm glad there's some forward planning, but of course a little perturbed that it, again, involves mostly sandbags.

[Pimay1]

This year, the Yingluck government will get an invitation from Stockholm.

I heard it is on the top of a list for the new

Nobel Prize for Real Comedians

Please don't insult Thai inventors.

Such invention have been used by many Royal Projects.

Please post the link, links to the water-flow push machines being used in many Royal Projects.

[belg]

with water pushing machines, do they mean the 1000 propeller boats that "helped" to push the water faster for about 5 meter down the flow last year or

do they mean actual pumps ?

[Thai at Heart]

I am waiting for the 1mn square rai tarpaulin to stop the water ever touching the ground.