Residents poised to revolt

Stranded residents get emergency flood supplies but are on the edge of revolting over their lengthy stay in deep and polluted water.

Residents on Chaeng Watthana Road have given the government three days to drain water from their communities or face "swift protest measures".

Somdech Jaengprasit, representing seven housing estates in Chaeng Watthana Soi 14, complained residents have lived with the floods for over a month.

Water remained high at 60cm to 70cm on average. He said the residents were neglected by authorities as no relief help was offered them.

Mr Somdech said the stagnant water was a breeding ground for mosquitoes and getting around "was a struggle".

"We've suffered in silence for long enough. We can't bear it any more," he said. The residents will rally at the mouth of their soi this morning to demand that the Flood Relief Operation Command (Froc) director Pracha Promnok or his representatives meet them in person to hear their grievances.

Many flooded sections of Chaeng Watthana Road have reopened to traffic after the flood receded. The road sits downstream from the heavily inundated Rangsit areas and Don Muang district which continued to siphon off water.

The residents are the latest group affected by protracted floods to take to the streets. A planned rally by flood-hit residents of communities on the odd-numbered sois of Ram Intra Road was cancelled yesterday after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) brought in water pumps.

Also yesterday, in Pathum Thani about 100 people destroyed 10m of "big bag" barriers which were causing water to surge into a field next to the Bang Kadi Industrial Park in tambon Bang Kadi in Muang district.

People used knives to destroy bags on Tiwanont Road. The barrier caused water to gush into the field.

One of the residents, Somporn Puapong, said the authorities moved the big bags on to the road blocking water flow near Soi Sanam Keela.

Floodwater in the in-bound lanes of Tiwanont Road almost completely disappeared while the out-bound lanes were under 50cm of water.

Elsewhere in Pathum Thani, water pumps were mobilized to salvage the White House community of 6,000 people in tambon Khlong Nueng in Khlong Luang district which has been under almost 3m of water for over a month.

Meanwhile, the BMA announced yesterday water in Khlong Prem Prachakorn has gone down by 2cm to 7cm; Khlong Bang Khen by 4cm to 7cm; 

Khlong Lat Phrao by 4cm to 7cm; Khlong Bang Sue by 5cm to 7cm; Khlong Saen Saep by 1cm to 4cm; and Khlong Prawet Buri Rom by 2cm to 4cm.