With angry residents threatening violence or vandalism, City Hall has urged the the Flood Relief Operations Command to provide protection for authorities trying to build flood barriers.
The barriers are aimed at sparing central Bangkok from the deluge, but communities affected by the build-up of floodwater are pulling them down or threatening workers in some areas.
Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday stressed the importance of building and strengthening a flood prevention line where Phahon Yothin Road meets Khong Rangsit.
He said the flood defence there is strategically important as it helps to prevent overflow from Khlong Rangsit from entering Bangkok's inner areas via Don Muang district and Phahon Yothin Road.
MR Sukhumbhand said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) authorities had failed to build the flood lines there because of heated resistance from residents putting authorities at risk.
He said if the Froc does not have enough personnel for the task, the BMA will send its own workers to help if the Froc can guarantee their safety.
Angry residents in the area previously fired guns into the air to drive away BMA staff who were building flood barriers there.
The latest incident came yesterday as 1,000 residents living along Khlong 3 and Khlong 4 in Khlong Sam Wa district blockaded a road near the Hathaimit-Wat Sukjai intersection to demand City Hall open Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate wider. They claimed the narrow opening of the gate was why their community had been so badly flooded.
The run-off yesterday surged into Kasetsart University in Bang Khen district, which provides shelter for flood evacuees, putting it under 30cm of water.
Overflow from Khlong 2 in Rangsit and run-off from Sai Mai district have swamped Rarm Intra Road Km 8, and floodwater surged through manholes and inundated several alleys on the outbound lane of the road from Km1 onwards.
On Phahon Yothin Road, northern run-off spread to the Bang Khen circle, where the Lak Si monument is located.
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| This flood dyke at Sam Sen Soi 21 broke due to pressure from the Chao Phraya River. CHANAT KATANYU |
High sea tides caused the Chao Phraya to surge to 2.53m yesterday, inundating communities on both sides of the river.
In western Bangkok, soldiers were racing to repair two dykes at Khlong Maha Sawat in Thawi Watthana district.
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| The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has declared the sub-districts of Chim Pli, Taling Chan and Bang Ramad in Bangkok's Taling Chan district special watch flood zones. Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra warns residents should be prepared for evacuation at any time. |
Meanwhile, Chaeng Wattana Road and surrounding areas have been inundated by overflow from Khlong Prapa after an earth dyke in Don Muang district was destroyed by angry residents.
The damaged dyke near Wat Nawong in Don Muang caused a huge volume of floodwater to flow into the Prapa canal, which supplies tap water to Bangkok.
The dyke was destroyed on Saturday by a group of residents living near Wat Nawong.
Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) governor Charoen Pasra said the level of Khlong Prapha was still rising as floodwater in the nearby Muang Ake housing estate poured into the canal, despite efforts by the the authority and the BMA to drain it into Khlong Bang Khen and other nearby canals.
He maintained the MWA would work at its fullest capacity to protect Khlong Prapa and its tap water production system from harm.
Due to the amount of low-quality floodwater flowing into Khlong Prapa, Mr Charoen has told people to boil tap water before drinking it.
MWA officials and workers yesterday reinforced an earth dyke along the canal.
MWA assistant governor Ulit Makmaitree said the reinforcement of the dyke along the canal from Wat Nawong to Chaeng Wattana Road was almost complete.
Teams of officials have also been dispatched to guard the dyke.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday reiterated that the flood situation in Bangkok should start to improve from tomorrow _ so long as no more flood barriers are broken.
Once the sea tides have ebbed, floodwater can be drained out to sea at the fullest capacity, she said.
complicate – to make something more difficult to deal with, do or understand ทำให้ยาก, ทำให้ซับซ้อน
keep order – to keep a group or people or area under control รักษาความเป็นระเบียบเรียบร้อย
residents – people who live in a particular area ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่
emerge – to appear or to become recognised โผล่ออกมา
relief – help; assistance การช่วยให้พ้นภัย
stranded – left somewhere with no way of going anywhere else ปล่อยเกาะ ถูกทิ้งไว้
threaten – to be likely to harm or destroy something เป็นลางร้าย
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) – the local government of Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร
violence – physical force with the deliberate intention of causing damage to property or injury or death to people ความรุนแรง
vandalism - the crime of intentionally damaging property belonging to other people การทำลายทรัพย์สินโดยเฉพาะของรัฐอย่างไร้เหตุผล
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take ผลักดัน, กระตุ้น
Flood Relief Operations Centre – the government's centre for assisting flood victims ศูนย์ปฎิบัติการช่วยเหลือผู้ประสบอุทกภัย(ศปภ)
protection – the act of protecting somebody/something; the state of being protected การอารักขา, การปกป้อง
authorities – people who have the power to make decisions or enforce the law เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
barrier – a wall, pile of sandbags, etc., that prevents water from entering สิ่งกีดขวาง
spare – to save or set aside สงวนไว้
deluge – a sudden flow of a large amount of water, a sudden, very heavy rainfall น้ำปริมาณมาก ฝนตกหนัก
community – the people living in one particular area ชุมชน
stress – – mental pressure or worry ความตึงเครียด
prevention – preventing something bad from happening การป้องกันภ้ย
strategic – carefully planned in order to achieve a particular goal, especially in war, business, or politics ทางยุทธศาสตร์
overflow – (of a river or body of water) water flooding the land next to it การไหลล้น
via – through ผ่าน (ช่องทาง)
resistance – a refusal to accept something or allow it to happen การต่อต้าน, การขัดขืน
at risk – in danger ตกอยู่ในความเสี่ยง
personnel – the people who are employed in a company, organization or one of the armed forces บุคลากร, เจ้าหน้าที่, พนักงาน
task – something that you have to do หน้าที่; ภารกิจ
guarantee – to promise someone that they will have something or will get something รับประกัน, ค้ำประกัน
blockade – to stop someone/ something from moving through or along something else ปิดกั้น, กีดขวาง
intersection – a place where roads, lines, etc., join or cross each other สี่แยก
sluice gate – a gate that can be opened or closed to control the flow water along a passage ประตูน้ำปิดเปิดบังคับการไหลของน้ำในคลอง
claim – to say that something is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it อ้าง
narrow – not wide; having a small distance from one side to the other, especially in comparison with the length แคบ
run-off – rain, water or other liquid that runs off land into streams and rivers น้ำหลาก
surge – to increase very quickly เพิ่มขึ้นอย่างรวดเร็ว
shelter – a place where people are protected from danger or bad weather; a temporary place to stay ที่หลบภัย ที่พักชั่วคราว
evacuee – a person who leaves a place of danger ผู้อพยพ
swamped – covered with a large amount of water ท่วม, จมอยู่ในน้ำ
surge – to increase very quickly เพิ่มขึ้นอย่างรวดเร็ว
manhole – a hole in the street that is covered with a lid, used when somebody needs to go down to examine the pipes or sewers below the street ท่อระบายน้ำมีฝาปิดตามถนน
inundate – to flood; to submerge ท่วม, ทำให้จมลงใต้น้ำ
alley – a narrow road or path between buildings, or a path in a park or garden, especially with trees or bushes on both sides ตรอก, ซอย, ซอกซอย
outbound – travelling towards a particular point, particularly away from a city ขาออก (opposite of inbound ขาเข้า)
spread – gradually affecting or covering a larger area การแพร่กระจาย
located – where something is ตั้งอยู่
tide – the regular rise and fall of the level of the sea (the tides) ปรากฏการณ์น้ำขึ้นน้ำลง, กระแสน้ำขึ้นน้ำลง
repair – to fix something that is broken or damaged ซ่อมบำรุง
dyke – a wall built to prevent the sea or a river from covering an area, or a channel dug to take water away from an area เขื่อนกั้นน้ำ
surrounding – all around a place บริเวณรอบๆ
dyke – a wall built to prevent the sea or a river from covering an area, or a channel dug to take water away from an area เขื่อนกั้นน้ำ
volume – an amount of something ปริมาณ
tap water – water that is sent through pipes into building น้ำประปา
Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) – the department in charge of providing clean, safe drinking water to a city การประปานครหลวง
housing estate – residential estate; an area containing a large number of houses or apartments built close together at the same time บ้านจัดสรร
pour – to flow or enter in large amounts ไหล
capacity – the amount of something that can be produced ความสามารถในการ (ผลิต)
due to – because of เนื่องจาก
quality – the standard of something when it is compared to other things like it; how good or bad something is คุณภาพ
boil – to heat a liquid to the point where it forms bubbles and turns to steam or vapour ทำให้เดือด
reinforce – to make stronger เสริมให้แข็งแรงขึ้น
dispatch – to send someone or something somewhere ส่งคนออกไป
guard – to watch a place carefully to protect someone from attack, to prevent something from being stolen, or to prevent someone from escaping เฝ้ายาม, ดูแล, รักษาความปลอดภัย
reiterated – repeated something in order to emphasise it พูดซ้ำ ย้ำ
improve – to get better ดีขึ้น
so long as – as long as; only if ตราบเท่าที่, จนกว่า
ebb – to gradually become smaller ลดลง
capacity – the ability to do a particular thing ความสามารถ,สมรรถภาพ
