More roads in capital swamped

Floods are worsening in the capital with more areas submerged and more roads becoming impassable to traffic.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday ordered the evacuation of Bang Phai sub-district as rapidly rising floodwaters threatened it. Bang Phai is located in Bangkok's Bang Khae district.

BMA listed the Bang Chan sub-district of Bangkok's Klong Sam Wa district as an area to be watched.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday he was worried about the capital's western zone. "The water-drainage system there is not as good as the eastern zone," he admitted.

Flood-hit Bang Khae and Thawee Watthana are among districts in the western zone. Locals there are already struggling hard with floods.

"The floodwater level is now over one-metre deep," said Samart Khemthong, one of the flood victims there.

His village, Sakunthip, is located close by the Thawee Watthana Canal.

He said about 30 out of 350 families were camping out in their heavily flooded village to guard against thieves. "Now, we really need a boat," Samart said.

Sanya Sheenimit, who heads the BMA Department of Drainage and Sewerage, said BMA officials were now working in boats in the flooded western zone. "We have installed more pumps and reinforced flood barriers," he said.

He added that flooding on Bangkok's western side was aggravated partly because the Flood Relief Operation Centre (FROC) would not close the water gates of canals north of the capital in the face of stiff protests from locals.

Sukhumbhand said flooding would become a graver threat in Bangkok's eastern zone now that the government had ordered the watergate of Klong Sam Wa Canal be lifted up by 1 metre.

"More areas in the eastern zone including the Bang Chan Industrial Estate are now at risk of being flooded," he said.

In northern Bangkok, floodwater has already reached the Ratchayothin itersection. Floodwater level on the Chaeng Wattana, Ram-Indra and Phaholyothin roads is also rising. Many motorcycles and small cars have stopped dead amid high floodwater on the roads.

On Chaeng Wattana Road, government officials waded through floodwater to get into the Government Agency Complex in shorts. Upon arrival, they then changed their clothes and donned uniforms.

All food shops at the complex closed yesterday, as vendors clearly were worried about floods.

According to the Traffic Police Division, 24 roads in the capital have been closed to traffic due to severe inundation. They include portions of Phaholyothin Road, Kamphaeng Phet 6 Road, Songprapha Road and a portion of Chaeng Wattana Road.

As floods affect more roads, many are likely to become impassable soon, officials say.