Capital could be dry in 11 days

Half of northern runoff has flowed into the sea.

Bangkok could be drained of water in 11 days, says the Irrigation Department, presenting good news to an anxious city for the first time since northern floodwaters entered the capital.

Nearly half of the northern runoff which has devastated farmland and industrial estates and flooded parts of the capital has now flowed into the sea and the rest will be drained out soon, it said yesterday.

This year's northern runoff has been estimated at 14 billion cubic metres.

Nearly half of that amount has flowed into the sea leaving 8.5 billion cu/m in the Central Plains, said spokesman Boonsanong Suchatpong.

He said that of the 8.5 billion cu/m of water, about 3 billion cu/m is in the Chao Phraya River and 3.5 billion cu/m in the fields in the central provinces and north of Bangkok.

The rest has penetrated flood walls and inundated many parts of the capital.

As the water continues to flow into the sea, the run-off in the fields will gradually drain into the river.

Mr Boonsanong said this would leave only about 5 billion cu/m of water for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to manage.

With about 400 million cu/m of water being drained into the sea every day, the floodwater could be drained out of the capital in 11 days, he said.

Mr Boonsanong dismissed reports the city could be hit by a new volume of floodwater from the North.

He said the water level in Nakhon Sawan was now 1.12 metres below the river banks and the water volume that flowed downstream would not add to the flood woes being experienced by downstream provinces.

The drop in the water level in Ayutthaya's Bang Sai district and Nonthaburi's Pak Kret districts was also a good sign that less water was coming from the North, he said.

Meanwhile, the runoff from the western part of the city is approaching Rama II Road that links the city to the southern region.

The floodwater is about 1km away from the highway but it is hard to predict when it will reach and flood the road.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday he anticipated the runoff will reach Rama II Road by today.

The runoff, which is the result of the government's attempts to divert water from the Central Plains to the west and the east of the capital, has flooded most of Phetkasem Road and Bang Khun Thian-Bang Bon Road as it heads towards Rama II Road.

The government appears to have decided not to block the floods from entering Rama II Road but instead will use the highway as a floodway to allow floodwater to head into the estuary.

MR Sukhumbhand said the BMA must protect Rama II Road from inundation.

The BMA will seek cooperation from the Highway Department to keep the highway accessible to motorists, he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she has asked Thai Airways International to put on extra flights at discounted rates for travellers going south in case Rama II road is inundated.

In Bang Phlat, one of the worst-hit districts in the western part of the city, the floodwater in several areas has receded by 10cm.

A section from Krung Thon Buri bridge to Bang Phlat intersection is now passable to motorists with a water height of 20cm.

Motorists were having a difficult time on Sirindhorn and Charan Sanitwong roads because the water levels differ along these roads.

In some parts the floodwater had fallen to 20-30cm, but other sections remain under 80cm water.

Residents in Bangkok Yai district are keeping their fingers crossed that run-off from Phetkasem Road will not reach Tha Phra intersection.

The district has deployed 18 pumps at Khlong Bangkok Yai's sluice gate to drain water from the canal to the Chao Phraya River.

During high tide today and tomorrow, communities along the Chao Phraya River on the western side of Bangkok, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan's Pak Nam have been urged to keep vigilant.

The water in the river will rise by 10cm above mean sea level during high tide.

The BMA has issued an evacuation warning for Ram Intra and Kannayao sub-districts of Kannayao district, while Lat Phrao sub-district in Lat Phrao district was put on close watch.

Seri Supparathit, director of Sirindhorn International Environmental Park, said the "big bag" flood barrier north of Bangkok will slow down the run-off which would finally overflow the barrier within a week.

The barrier will hold the water for seven days before the overflow starts," he said. "Khlong Bang Sue will be in trouble and the flood may affect the Victory Monument."

Flood Relief Operation Command director Pracha Promnok admitted yesterday the water might overflow the flood barrier, but insisted it would not fall.

He said the barrier would be able to hold the mounting water pressure and last for months.