Bangkok flooding is chronic problem
By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE NATION

 

 

BMA officials admit they cannot cope with heavy rains as experts blame infrastructure and lack of preparedness

 

BANGKOK: -- BANGKOK WILL continue to experience flooding after heavy rains unless water-drainage problems including roads and canals are solved, water-management experts have said.

 

Heavy rain was to blame for yesterday’s floods in 25 areas around Bangkok after up to 170 millimetres of rain fell on the capital on Wednesday night, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) stated. 

 

Bangkok faced the prospect of more flooding as the Meteorological Department predicted more heavy rains last night and this morning.

 

 

The heavy rains turned many streets of the city into canals and seriously worsened rush-hour traffic, causing many commuters to arrive late at work or school. One of the worst flooded areas was the Lat Phrao intersection at Ratchadaphisek Road, where the floodwaters reached about 30 centimetres and seriously disrupted traffic.

 

BMA drainage and sewerage director Sompong Wiangkaew said the heavy rains were more than the city’s drainage system could cope with.

 

“We are trying our best to save our city from flooding, but the rain was far too heavy for our drainage system, which can accept around 100 to 120 millimetres. Last night, total rainfall was about 170 millimetres,” Sompong said.

 

“Moreover, we could not drain the floodwater out of the street properly, because the canals were already full of water from the rains, even though we had decreased the water levels in the canals in advance.”

 

Sitang Pilailar, a lecturer at the Water Resources Engineering Department at Kasetsart University, said the reasons the BMA cited were chronic problems for the city.

 

“Bangkok will still flood every time after heavy rain, if the water cannot drain from the roads to the drainage pipes and to the canals properly,” Sitang said.

 

She said the first problem was that the drainage system mixed with the sewer system, so pipes were already full of wastewater. Moreover, during the floods in 2011, sand was dumped into the drainage system that had not been cleared out completely, lessening the capacity of the city’s drainage pipes by half.

 

Another problem was lack of preparation before the rain, Sitang said, adding the BMA usually received weather predictions from the Meteorological Department so water levels in the canals could be lowered in advance, but this time the BMA had not performed well.

 

“In addition to these problems, we still have the issue that many old communities suffer from chronic flooding because their location is lower than street level, so the water from the road drains into their communities instead of into the drainage pipes. The garbage in the drainage system is also significant, as many people still throw litter into drainage pipes and canals,” Sitang said.

 

“This is a task for all of us to tackle. The BMA has to be better prepared for flooding and maintain the drainage system to make sure that it can work properly, while the people also have to avoid clogging the drainage system with garbage if we want to sustainably solve the flooding problem in Bangkok.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30316334

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-26

The blame-game has begun. But after the big flooding of 2013 they built extra underground canals with huge pumps, i wonder if they are working right now.

 

They really need foreign expertise in this, i wonder how many cars the floodings have killed so far.

 

"Another problem was lack of preparation before the rain, Sitang said, adding the BMA usually received weather predictions from the Meteorological Department so water levels in the canals could be lowered in advance, but this time the BMA had not performed well."

 

I can understand them not being prepared for this, it's not as if it rains every year, is it!

Ever thought of getting rid and banning the plastic that blocks the drains?

Blame the heavy rain that suddenly appeared, never ever had a rainy season before, pay no attention to the garbage filled drains, they are not to blame, bwaaaaaaaaaaa.

Sand still in the pipes since 2011,perhaps they thought it would wash away during heavy rains,logical Thai thinking.

And they still keep building and covering up the natural drainage channels. Have seen photos of them filling in waterways and building a car park on top.

 

They've never taking the issue seriously, always pretending it's just water waiting to drain.

Won't be long before it's time to do what the Burmese did and relocate to a shiny new capital city somewhere else.

30 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

And they still keep building and covering up the natural drainage channels. Have seen photos of them filling in waterways and building a car park on top.

 

That is exactly the problem. I live in an older area of Thonburi and we still have many of the original drainage conduits (mini khlongs) every 500 or 600 yards and even though there is a lot of development and major roadways I have not seen any significant flooding in the year and a half I have lived here.

Almost an impossible task to remedy Bkk flooding...little leeway above high tide level...wastewater draining into the drainage system which is already massive with some 12 million people, poor engineering, very bad management.....and the list goes on.

1 hour ago, BigBadGeordie said:

 

"Another problem was lack of preparation before the rain, Sitang said, adding the BMA usually received weather predictions from the Meteorological Department so water levels in the canals could be lowered in advance, but this time the BMA had not performed well."

 

I can understand them not being prepared for this, it's not as if it rains every year, is it!

The heavy rains arrived before they had time to visit the fortune teller

30 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Won't be long before it's time to do what the Burmese did and relocate to a shiny new capital city somewhere else.

Chaiyaphum I have heard as a possible new capital, well above sea level and centrally located.

Seems Prayut has failed...again. Because he said that.............................

Blame no one!

 

Wake up; most of the entire world is experiencing record rains, historic flooding and mud slides.

 

I hope no one is  building a wooden ship and gathering animals.

 

The surface water generally dries up in a day or so.

 

It would be nice to see positive comments from time to time.

 

So here is one!

 

It's dry again here and the sunshine is wonderful.

This article is a complete fabrication.  Beloved leader and PM said there was no flooding that it was just taking time for the water to drain down the pipes.  He also said that there was not going to be heavy rain this season.  Therefore the article just cant be true! 

When ground is covered nearly everywhere with concrete, when klongs are filled in, what other result could be expected?

History of flooding problem - Timeline:

• Until  1767 Capital of Thailand was Ayutthaya

• 1767 – 1782 moved to Thonburi due to persistent flooding

• 1782 Capital moved from Thonburi side to Bangkok side of river due to persistent flooding

• 1785 Major Flood 4.5metre deep

• 1819 Major Flood 3.2metre deep

• 1831 Top of the City flood defence wall

• 1917 Major Floods all roads submerged 1mth

• 1942 Major Flood 1.5metre deep for 3 months

• 1975 Flood caused by depression, 4,000 m³/s flow, 1,100 MB damage

• 1980 4 days of more than 200 mm. rain, 700 MB damage

• 1982 1,093 MB damage

• 1983 Several cyclones, flooded for 3-5 months, 6,600 MB damage

• 1995 5,400 m³/s flow, recorded high water level in Chao Phraya River at +2.27m MSL, flood dike overflowed, 3,000 MB damage within Bangkok, 50,000 MB damage outside Bangkok. Total 72 Billion Baht.

• 1996 +2.14 m MSL water level, flood dike overflowed, 1,500 MB damage

• 2002 – Affecting Ayutthaya, Angthong, Singhburi, and Bangsai

• 2006 Affecting Singhburi, Angthong,  Ayutthaya, Bangsai, Tai Chen Districts: Banglen, Krathumban and Ampur Muang Samut Sakhon

• 2010 October due to overflow of Chaophraya

• 2011 Major Flood up to 2metres deep

• A Fourth Master Plan to prevent flooding was proposed after the 2011 disasterous floods, but has not been carried out consisting of:

• Flood Mitigation Plan For The Chaophraya Delta

• Super-Express Floodways

• Widening Chai Nat and Pasak Canals

•  4 large canals for Nakhon Pathom & Samut Sakhon

•  2^nd Chao Phraya River Project: Pasak to Gulf Thailand

•  Floodway: Chai Nat via Suphanburi to Gulf Thailand

•  Diversion Tha Chin River as per 3^rd Master Plan 

  Cost: 100 Billion Baht

  Anticipated Result: No more flooding on the river

  Completion: Within 3 years

3 hours ago, fruitman said:

The blame-game has begun. But after the big flooding of 2013 they built extra underground canals with huge pumps, i wonder if they are working right now.

 

They really need foreign expertise in this, i wonder how many cars the floodings have killed so far.

Time to bring the Dutch in to sort it all out..!!

7 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

Time to bring the Dutch in to sort it all out..!!

 

Something I had posted 5 years ago :)

 

 

Bangkok has always been like this in the rainy season.In the 1970s I was living behind the Indra Hotel and many times when going to work in the morning I was wading in 1 1/2 to 2 feet of water  to go for a tuk tuk.

Water-management experts here in the Land of Smiles?  Lol.  The Dutch have offered to show the morons here how to do it, but they refuse <major loss of face>.  Much better to simply endure the flooding year after year - act of Buddha so to speak.  But act on advice from a foreign country.  Heck, Thailand is the center of the universe.  There's nothing wrong with Thai water management!  It all that pesky rain's fault!!!

After 2013 i thought that they said that this wont happen again.

All soi was flooded in heart of BKK.

1 hour ago, Kabula said:

Blame no one!

 

Wake up; most of the entire world is experiencing record rains, historic flooding and mud slides.

 

I hope no one is  building a wooden ship and gathering animals.

 

The surface water generally dries up in a day or so.

 

It would be nice to see positive comments from time to time.

 

So here is one!

 

It's dry again here and the sunshine is wonderful.

You are obviously not in the LatPhao area of Bangkok where it has been raining for some time now and canal has risen 78cm in the last hour and is now 6cm above flood stage.

34 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

After 2013 i thought that they said that this wont happen again.

2011

Just now, swissbie said:

2011

Agreed,.... coming soon again in climax September and October,... wanna bet?

5 minutes ago, MaxLee said:

Agreed,.... coming soon again in climax September and October,... wanna bet?

I don't wanna bet, as for two months we had been living in a huge lake at the end of 2011, but never mind, anyway moving to the far south in a few days..

14 minutes ago, swissbie said:

2011

so they said it two years earlier

5 minutes ago, swissbie said:

I don't wanna bet, as for two months we had been living in a huge lake at the end of 2011, but never mind, anyway moving to the far south in a few days..

That's an improvement ? I think i would rather have the flooding