Bangkok won't be hit severely by flood

BANGKOK, Oct 7 (TNA) -- Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin assured the public Sunday that capital city residents living along the river would not be hard hit by floods during the current rainy season.

Mr. Apirak expressed his confidence after inspecting an embankment now under construction along the Chao Phraya River.

Construction of the embankment is now almost finished, he added. About 62.5 kilometres has been completed, with only 14.5 kilometres still to be built. The embankment is as long as 77 kilometres and is expected to be completed in 2010. It could prevent floodwaters from reaching inner Bangkok at the maximum level of 2.40 meters.

Mr. Apirak said people living along the river and nearby canals suffered heavily in the past two years during monsoon season as their homes were inundated by floodwaters overflowing river and canal banks.

While construction continues, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) labourers have placed sandbags along the banks to prevent floodwaters below 2.40 meters from entering people's homes, said Mr. Apirak.

Water level here has peaked at around 1.5-1.7 metres while not too many houses are below these levels, he said, adding that BMA workers have been ordered to provide help to flood victims.

He cited a forecast made by the Naval Hydrographic Department as saying that seawaters would rise to its peak again on October 27 and that floods could occur only from the amount of rainfall from now until that date.

TNA