RESIDENTS THREATEN PROTESTS, FORCE OPEN WALL TO RELEASE WATER

Big bag barrier under threat

RESIDENTS THREATEN PROTESTS, FORCE OPEN WALL TO RELEASE WATER

The government's big bag barrier, credited with sparing inner Bangkok from flooding, is under threat.

A workman wrestles one of the huge Big Bag sandbags into line.

Residents of Don Muang district say the barrier is prolonging flooding in their area, and are threatening protest action.

They demand the government say how much longer they will have to live with the floodwater.

Thinnakorn Janya, head of the residents of Yucharoen housing estate, said he and 20 community leaders from nearby estates will meet at 9am today to discuss what action to take.

They are considering three options: blocking the Don Muang Tollway, holding a prolonged protest on the crest of the barrier, or rallying outside parliament.

The leaders will vote at today's meeting to decide which of these measures to take.

Mr Thinnakorn said residents wanted the government to come up with an action plan to ease flooding in their areas where the big bag barrier, built from sandbags weighing 2.5 tonnes each, has retained floodwater for many days.

"They are swamping us with water. If we weren't in such despair, we wouldn't be shouting for help," he said.

Mr Thinnakorn said the government must clarify the amount of time it would take to pump out water inside the barrier.

"When will our area be dry again? We've been underwater for three weeks now," he said. Mr Thinnakorn discounted claims by local MP Karun Hosakul of the ruling Pheu Thai Party that only 10,000 people live inside the barrier.

Mr Karun yesterday met Flood Relief Operation Commands (Froc) chief Pracha Promnok to discuss the residents' complaint following a report that up to 80,000 people had signed a petition demanding the big bags' removal.

He claimed that only 10,000 people had signed the petition.

Mr Thinnakorn said that number referred only to those officially registered as householders of each property, but in reality many more share the homes.

Mr Karun said many residents in the district have endured suffering as a result of the installation of the big bags.

The big bag barrier has formed a vast belt encompassing 20 residential estates along the northern railway line and across Don Mueang airport and parts of Phahon Yothin Road.

The authorities insisted the big bags helped slow water flowing into the city from the North, granting the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) enough time to drain water from the canals that protect inner Bangkok.

The erection of the big bag barrier, however, provoked an angry response from communities surrounded by it.

The pressure prompted authorities to remove some bags and make a gap of two metres in the barrier to release water. The gap was later widened to six metres. However, yesterday the gap was sealed.

Mr Thinnakorn said it was unclear who closed the gap.

He and about 200 residents worked to open the gap back to six metres again with their bare hands yesterday in the presence of police and soldiers.

The water behind the barrier was 60cm higher than water outside it.

Mr Thinnakorn insisted the residents were not pressing to have the barrier removed.

Rather, the authorities should map out a blueprint to control water flow from North and siphon water from housing estates by, for example, creating small gaps at intervals along the barrier.

The barrier should also be built in a chamber system so the water could be better manipulated.

He said authorities lack an integrated flood management plan, which left some areas inundated for extended periods.

Mr Thinnakorn said the big bags restricted people's freedom of mobility, which is against the law.

"Our boats can't get past the bags and boats are the people's only mode of transport around here," he added.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the big bags were an effective water management tool, but he was concerned some residents might dismantle the barrier if the floods became too much to bear.

However, he would discuss with the Froc if it was still necessary to keep the big bag barrier.

Seri Suparathit, a water expert at Rangsit University, said the BMA has enough capacity to pump out water and save the inner city even if the gap in the barrier was opened over its entire length.