Minister Jumps Into Bangkok Administration Sandbags Row

[webfact]

POLITICS

Minister jumps into BMA sandbags row

Thanatpong Kongsai,

Prapan Jindalerd-udomdee

The Nation

File photo : Sukhumbhand

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit and officials from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) pull a sandbag out of a drainage pipe on Srinakarin Road.

The latest row between the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and government ministers concerns sandbags found in drainage pipes on Srinakarin Road. Both sides are pointing fingers at each other.

Speaking as chair of the Water and Flood Management Commission (WFMC), Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee said yesterday he would set up a committee to find out why the BMA opted to "block" the drains.

"BMA's duty is to facilitate water drainage, not block it," he said.

On Sunday, Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit and Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officials decided to check some drainage pipes on Srinakarin Road and found sandbags in them.

In response to this, a BMA official filed a complaint with the Hua Mark Police Station.

However, Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday the sandbags had been put there to ensure that Hua Mark Canal did not flood low-lying portions of Srinakarin Road.

Piboon Klubprasit, a senior official at the BMA Drainage and Sewerage Department, said the road was far lower than the canal and hence, sandbags were necessary.

"We have used a similar technique at many other spots as well," he said.

Sukhumbhand reiterated that |the sandbags had been placed there to prevent flooding.

He firmly dismissed claims the sandbags were placed in the hope of causing floods and put the blame on to the central government.

"Removal of the sandbags can be seen as a violation of the Constitution. Article 266 of the Constitution bars political-office holders from interfering in the works of permanent officials," Sukhum-bhand said.

The city governor vowed to take harsh action against anyone who repeats this offence.

Spokesman Wasan Meewong said the BMA's job was to manage the city's water drainage system and the WFMC had no mandate to interfere.

"If the WFMC has any doubts, it should ask the BMA in writing and make some recommendations," he said.

Prompong, meanwhile, remain-ed defiant and challenged the BMA to launch a police complaint against him. "I am ready to produce evidence in court," he claimed.

-- The Nation 2012-10-09

[whistleblower]

Handbags at dawn over sandbags at dawn

[asiawatcher]

This Govt will try on anything to avoid the issue, they have paid out a lot of money and have very little to show for it, as Bangkok continues to flood, so attack being the best form of defence, continue to muck rake at the BMA. Blocking a canal to prevent a flood is quite common forcing run off in another direction. Oh I forgot, the election due for Bangkok Governor...

[Payboy]

A 1000 sandbags vs. a 1000 propellor boats. Both theories have their merits.

[Scott]

Why do they have drains there if they are lower than the area to which the water is to be drained?

[rubl]

Why do they have drains there if they are lower than the area to which the water is to be drained?

Pumps, multi-level, upward draining doesn't work well without them. mind you, with too much water you may need to drain higher levels first before trying to clear lower levels

[slapout]

We need photos of the offending sandbags and those responsible, being pointed out, by the BIB, the Minister of science was just upset that his forcast for flood and his proposed 3 day holiday was not implemented. If the PM can involve 'Plod' in a few more committees and/or projects, we will be assured of further finger pointing.

I can hardly wait for a reshuffle of this lot, the question is, can a more incompent group as a whole, be found? I will be patient and give them/her the required time needed, and my question may be answered in the affermitive.

[smedly]

sounds to me like a stitch up with the pending election

it seems obvious to me that when the canals are low then water from flash floods will drain to the canal but in extreme flood conditions (like last year) were the canals are overflowing it seems like a good idea to block these drains - so what's all the fuss about ?

[GentlemanJim]

Why is the DSI getting involved in sand bags in drains???

Is anyone else getting the nice google ad at the bottom for sand bags in different colours? I quite like the gold one myself.

[Pib]

Before the late 2011 flood arrived my area of western Bangkok, several of my moobaan drain pipe outlets which feed into the adjacent canal were blocked with sandbags and it was a smart move. Not blocked by the BMA but the moobaan manager in trying to protect from the floods.

Normally, the outlets are about a half a meter above the highest point the canal ever rised to such as during high tide and heavy rain for several days. But the with the wall of water coming from the north last year the moobaan manager, and residents, knew the canal would rise well above the outlets allowing water to reverse flow into the moobaan. So, at the manholes just before the outlets flow into canal, sandbags were used to block the outlets. This prevents the canal water from flowing "into" the moobaan drainage pipes and then coming up through the manhole covers, road gutter drain holes, etc. Unfortuantely, the flooding was so bad the water still found its way into the moobaan, but at least it was not due to canal water easily flowing "into" the drainage pipes "from" the canal. Now with the flood waters gone and the canal returning to its normal level, the sandbags have been intentionally left in place and a pumping system put in place to get the drainage water into the canal.

I expect the BMA may have intentionally left sandbags in many drainage pipes; but whether they left the sandbags because they developed alternate drainage routes/means or they just forget certain pipes were still blocked is a story to be determined. Or it may turn out that local residents trying to protect their local areas used BMA sandbags to block certain drain lines--this happened in many places by people building home made barriers and in some cases tearing down certain flood barriers to allow area out of their area into another area.

[whybother]

Why would the Bangkok government block drains to try and blame to PTP government for flooding?

If there is flooding in Bangkok due to local rains, then it's the local government that would get the blame for it.

[HUAHIN62]

Some commentators may remember that during last years flood in Bangkok people blocked manholes with sandbags after the floodwater popped the manhole lids. Recently we visited Bangkok and between Fashion Island and Max Valu there was still two manholes with sandbags in. This is the same sewerage system as the Min Buri one, in which sand bags was found and the BMA screamed sabotage. It wasn't sabotage but blatant neglegence by the BMA.

Edited October 9, 2012 by HUAHIN62

[webfact]

Science,Technology minister instructs BMA to remove sandbags from Bangkok drainage pipes within 15 days /The Nation

[FOODLOVER]

I believe this is a photo of a windbag, not a sandbag.

[dcutman]

Thailand's Government. Its like a bunch of 12 year olds fighting for the dominance of the playground.

Come on a sand bag conspiracy? How statesman like.

Edited October 9, 2012 by dcutman

[Pib]

This issue will surely reach the Constitution Court!

[khunken]

So we have Mr Plod, Prompong & the DSI all in a huff over a sandbag.

Quick, call Jatuporn, Amsterdam & co & they can take it to the Hague.

Morons.

[Thai at Heart]

Why is he jumping into a row of the BMA's sandbags?

Did he make them fall over?

[DeepInTheForest]

Before the late 2011 flood arrived my area of western Bangkok, several of my moobaan drain pipe outlets which feed into the adjacent canal were blocked with sandbags and it was a smart move. Not blocked by the BMA but the moobaan manager in trying to protect from the floods.

Normally, the outlets are about a half a meter above the highest point the canal ever rised to such as during high tide and heavy rain for several days. But the with the wall of water coming from the north last year the moobaan manager, and residents, knew the canal would rise well above the outlets allowing water to reverse flow into the moobaan. So, at the manholes just before the outlets flow into canal, sandbags were used to block the outlets. This prevents the canal water from flowing "into" the moobaan drainage pipes and then coming up through the manhole covers, road gutter drain holes, etc. Unfortuantely, the flooding was so bad the water still found its way into the moobaan, but at least it was not due to canal water easily flowing "into" the drainage pipes "from" the canal. Now with the flood waters gone and the canal returning to its normal level, the sandbags have been intentionally left in place and a pumping system put in place to get the drainage water into the canal.

I expect the BMA may have intentionally left sandbags in many drainage pipes; but whether they left the sandbags because they developed alternate drainage routes/means or they just forget certain pipes were still blocked is a story to be determined. Or it may turn out that local residents trying to protect their local areas used BMA sandbags to block certain drain lines--this happened in many places by people building home made barriers and in some cases tearing down certain flood barriers to allow area out of their area into another area.

Thanks for this thoughtful and instructive post, Pib. This undoubtedly is replicated in many parts of the city. It points out another difficulty in coordinating flood response-- there are individual situations that arise where workarounds need to occur. And keeping Bangkok dry will become more difficult as it sinks, and as global warming becomes worse.

[siampolee]

Watching the news tonight and footage of ,'' sand bag removal operations,'' it was indeed very interesting to note that the bags were white in colour.

Now seeing the colour of the water( if one could call it that) that flows down the drains I found white sand bags an intersting phenoma.

Perchance a little bit of creative work by a political party with an eye to changing the political face of the BMA ?

[Thai at Heart]

Watching the news tonight and footage of ,'' sand bag removal operations,'' it was indeed very interesting to note that the bags were white in colour.

Now seeing the colour of the water( if one could call it that) that flows down the drains I found white sand bags an intersting phenoma.

Perchance a little bit of creative work by a political party with an eye to changing the political face of the BMA ?

Overdoses of OMO from the ever so proud local mums scrubbing school shirts?