Crocs and cobras lurk in homes as Thai floods recede

Two men carry a crocodile caught and killed in Nonthaburi.

BANGKOK: People returning to homes in the Thai capital as record floods recede are finding crocodiles and snakes have moved in.

Teams from the Thai Fishery Department have caught at least 10 crocodiles since the country's worst flooding in more than half a century began in July.

Volunteer veterinarians have found cobras and rescued pet lions, tigers and bears from the homes of rich Thais.

The floods are receding after killing more than 600 people over vast areas of the kingdom, but for many the misery continues. Arunee Ninkaew's Bangkok home is now a putrid grey breeding ground for insects.

Weeks of living above the stagnant, foul-smelling floodwater, crammed into a single upstairs room with her diabetic husband, elderly mother-in-law and grandson, have left her in despair. 

She wakes each morning with the same feeling of hopelessness: "I think to myself, 'When? When will the water go?"'

The streets around her home in the district of Don Mueang are still under a meter of green water strewn with floating rubbish and glistening with petrol. The only way to get around is by boat.

PM: Dismantling all oversize sandbag barriers possible

BANGKOK, Nov 24 – The whole series of so-called big bag barriers, makeshift embankments installed to slow the flow of northern runoff into the capital, may be dismantled, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Thursday following continuing disputes on the big bag barriers which have erupted in many areas.

The temporary barriers have become the focus of disputes between flood-hit residents and the authorities as the residents demand elimination of the barriers to drain floodwater from their neighbourhoods.

“It is possible to dismantle all big bag barriers if there are other ways to drain out floodwater. To do so, additional pumps must be installed,” the prime minister said.

She instructed the water drainage committee, the Bangkok governor and governors of provinces surrounding the capital to discuss and adjust water drainage options after the situation has changed.

Bangkok is currently capable of draining more water out, she said.

The premier said she gave guidelines to agencies involved to consider the impact on residents.

Prime Minister Yingluck said the conclusion will come when the Department of Drainage and Sewerage, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Royal Irrigation Department, the Water Management Committee and governors meet together and act decisively regarding the priorities.

Governors represent the public in each province, she said. They will sit to decide water drainage priorities looking at the big picture and planned response is needed for areas that will be most affected by water drainage from upstream areas.

Regarding residents who are protesting angrily against the big bag barriers, who sometimes used violence, the prime minister said to handle the cases, negotiation must be done peacefully in accordance with the law.

But if there are violations of the law, officials must take legal action against them, the prime minister said.

She gave an example of some residents in Pathum Thani, who blocked the Don Mueang tollway Wednesday in their protest and damaged some cars, saying the police were notified and legal action was taken against them.

In other development, about 100 residents from Bangkok’s Thawi Watthana and Bang Khae districts opened a section of Kanchanapisek Road on Thursday evening, satisfied with Bangkok City Hall’s promise to lower three sluice gates if floodwater rises by ten centimetres.

The residents had blocked the road as they were dissatisfied with the raising of three sluice gates at Khlong Mahasawat to drain more water from flooded Nonthaburi.

Raising the gates increased the depth of floodwater in their neighbourhoods.

However, they dispersed later after the BMA pledged to lower the sluice gates again if the floodwaters rise by ten centimetres in the next three days.

Nonthaburi locals want BMA out of way Authority to fight floods 'needs to be removed'

Flood-hit Nonthaburi residents petitioned the Administrative Court yesterday to revoke the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's power in managing flood in areas connected to other provinces.

The residents also asked the court to order the government to stop trying to rescue the submerged Highway 340 and Kanchanapisek Road for fear the work will prolong the flood misery of people living in Bang Bua Thong.

The petition was lodged with the court by Todsiri Poolnual, 50, of Bang Rak Pattana sub-district on behalf of flood-hit residents after they staged a raucous protest at Nonthaburi provincial hall on Tuesday over prolonged flooding in their communities.

She said the embankments set up by the government along Highway 340 and the BMA's refusal to open the sluice gates along Maha Sawat canal had badly affected flooded residents.

"We do not want to be discriminated against," said Ms Todsiri. "Bangkok residents have started cleaning their homes, but we still have no idea when we can return to our flooded homes.

"The Nonthaburi provincial authority must do more than just deliver us relief items. It needs to come up with a convincing water management plan."

Since Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra was not eager to respond to the Nonthaburi residents' request to open the sluice gates to one metre, they were forced to seek the help from the court, she said.

"We will agree with any means to get the water drained out of our area. It can be the proposal discussed on Tuesday to divide the flooded area into smaller blocks so the water can be drained sooner. 

We need communications. We need a goal. We need to have a target in two weeks or so," she said.

Sermsak Charumanus, a commercial bank employee and resident of Tharinphorn Villa on Chalermprakiat Road, said he supported the fight through judicial means.

"It's better than demolishing sand bag walls. This is a peaceful and justified fight for our rights," he said.

MR Sukhumbhand announced yesterday evening that City Hall had agreed to open all sluice gates along the Maha Sawat canal by one metre.

The Bangkok governor said the BMA was aware of the plight of Nonthaburi residents, but the authority wanted to reserve its right to adjust the opening of all the sluice gates according to the situation.

The BMA has asked the Royal Irrigation Department to speed up water drainage through sluice gates along the canals in the western side of the Chao Phraya River.

MR Sukhumbhand said he had asked the Froc and the irrigation department to open the Khlong Chimphlee sluice gate to allow water to flow into Bangkok Noi canal and to open the Nakhon Chaisi sluice gate to allow water to flow into other canals in the western side of the Chao Phraya River.

Opening the two sluice gates would help ease flooding in Nonthaburi, and at the same time lower the risk of flooding in Bangkok's western districts, said the governor.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday the BMA and Froc should discuss a drainage strategy again after floodwaters have been drained out of several Bangkok districts.

She added that while Bangkok needed to prevent flooding in the capital, the Froc needs to handle flood problems all over the country.

Nonthaburi locals demand City Hall opens sluice gates

Nonthaburi residents want City Hall to open the Khlong Maha Sawat sluice gates to allow floodwater to flow out of their areas although it may raise flood levels in Bangkok's Bang Phlat district.

About 1,000 people organised through Facebook gathered at the Nonthaburi provincial hall yesterday to submit their demand through Nonthaburi governor Wichien Puthiwinyu.

They met for talks to find solutions to the month-long flooding in Bang Bua Thong, Bang Kruai, Bang Yai and Pak Kret districts. The Khlong Maha Sawat sluice gates are located between tambon Plai Bang municipality in Bang Kruai and Bangkok.

The gates are overseen by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and remain closed as part of flood prevention measures for the capital.

The residents believe opening of the gates would ease flooding in Nonthaburi as floodwater could make its way out to Khlong Maha Sawat and canals in Bangkok.

In their view, this is another way to drain the water out of the province.

Although there are fears opening the gates may affect Bang Phlat district in Bangkok where water began to recede last week, Mr Wichien promised he would send a request to the Bangkok governor via the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc).

He told the residents they would get an answer by 1pm tomorrow.

Phue Thai MP for Nonthaburi Chalong Riewraeng, who was present during the talks, said if Bangkok does nothing, "we have to do it our own way".

Mr Wichien and Mr Chalong also promised to obtain 1,000 water pumps to speed up water drainage in Nonthaburi. They aim to reduce the water level by more than 20cm.

If the drainage goes as planned, residents, especially those in Bang Bua Thong, could return home by Dec 1.

However, those in Sai Noi district may need to wait longer because the area has been severely hit by floods.

Meanwhile, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut, who inspected the western side of the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani yesterday, assured flood victims their situation would improve as officials continue to repair damaged levees and use more pumps to drain water.

The Royal Irrigation Department has given 50 water pumps to the two provinces to ease their flooding.

Irrigation dept chief slams governor over accusation

The conflict between the central government and the Bangkok authority heightened yesterday when the governor and the chief of the irrigation department engaged in a war of words during a meeting on flood control.

During the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Irrigation Department directorgeneral Chalit Damrongsak accused Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra of spreading false information through the media that the department refused to provide water pumps to help Bangkok.

"I have checked with the national Flood Relief Operations Center [FROC] and found there was no such request from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration [BMA]," Chalit said.

"The governor should not have said in a television interview that the Irrigation Department had refused to send water pumps to help Pasichareon district. Such remarks damage the reputation of the department," he said.

Sukhumbhand denied that he had made the remarks to the media, but Chalit insisted that he had himself heard the governor make the allegation about his department and demanded that Sukhumbhand retract his words through the media.

Prime Minister Yingluck tried to calm them down, saying the meeting should be a forum for consultation to solve problems.

Sukhumbhand asked BMA permanent secretary Charoenrat Chutikan to explain the situation. Charoenrat said the request for water pumps was made to the FROC and not to the Irrigation Department directly.

Chalit could not be assuaged and asked Prime Minister Yingluck to consider the matter and have a better understanding of the Irrigation Department.

"Prime Minister, please be fair to the department and help explain the situation to the public. We are hurt by such allegations," Chalit said.

Sukhumbhand lost his cool and said immediately, "I don't need to take back my words. When reporters asked whether I had got the pumps, I simply said 'not yet'. It is true. I'm waiting for the pumps."

The Royal Irrigation Department revealed later that after examining official documents from different agencies, it had not found the letter seeking water pumps for Bangkok. However, examination of records with other agencies found a letter dated November 3, 2011, signed by the BMA permanent secretary and addressed to the Interior Ministry permanent secretary, asking for 60 water pumps.

Pheu Thai Party secretarygeneral Jaruphong Ruangsuwan asked both sides to let bygones be bygones, but Sukhumband insisted that he had not insulted the Irrigation Department and was still waiting for the pumps.

Prime Minister Yingluck tried again to cool them down saying all concerned parties should not take the nitpicking seriously.

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, who heads the FROC, said he would check again whether the BMA had made any request for the pumps. "So far, I have not seen the request in writing but I'll check again where it is," he said.

Tempers cooled down for a while and Prime Minister Yingluck continued the meeting. However, towards the end Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadi launched another attack on Sukhumbhand, asking why the Bangkok authority did not issue warnings to people in western parts of the capital to prepare for evacuation.

Plodprasob asked why the warning was not issued when the Bangkok authority expected all of the western part could be inundated. Sukhumbhand justified his action, saying he did not want people to panic. Also, he did not believe the entire area would be under water.

"We order evacuation only when 70 per cent of the area is inundated," he said.

Sukhumbhand told reporters after the meeting that the BMA did not have any conflict with the governmentrun FROC, saying the Bangkok authority had opened many sluice gates to release water flow.

The governor said he was still worried about the situation in the western part of Bangkok as the BMA and Irrigation Department's drainage systems are not adequate to drain the water out. The BMA can drain only 10 million cubic metres out of the capital, he said.

Prime Minister Yingluck told reporters after the meeting that the BMA and the FROC were separate, hence the two agencies needed to have more consultation and cooperation.

Every province wanted to release its own water but nobody talked about the huge mass of water. "If we want to talk about Bangkok's problem, we have to talk with surrounding provinces, too," she said. "In the long run, Bangkok has to work with Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani."

The Royal Irrigation Department strongly averred that there was no conflict with other agencies.