Bangkok digs in to hold back floods

Soldiers, public works crews and volunteers raced to repair a key barrier protecting Bangkok’s northern suburbs from approaching waters today.

The efforts were part of a desperate bid to defend Thailand’s capital from the country’s worst floods in decades.

Repair work to the Khlong Ban Phrao Floodgate was being speeded up and area residents were asked to remain on alert for flooding. Governor Peerasak Hinmuangkao of Pathum Thani province, just north of Bangkok, said the gate would be repaired by the end of the day.

Erroneous reports yesterday had said floodwaters had broken through the gate, leading the government to order residents to evacuate urgently. The Flood Relief Centre later apologised for the “misinformation”, saying the evacuation order had been reversed and that damage to the gate had been overestimated.

At least 283 people have been killed in Thailand since late July by floods and mudslides that have devastated rice crops and shut dozens of factories.

Bangkok has been mostly spared so far, but some surrounding areas have been inundated and authorities fear that flood waters rushing from the north will combine with rains and high tides in the next few days to flood the city.

Buildings in many areas of the capital have stockpiled sandbags, while others have built protective walls from cement and cinderblocks.

Government spokesman Wim Rungwattanajinda said the main canals east and west of Bangkok would be dredged by today to allow more water to flow from flooded northern provinces. He said authorities were also digging canal shortcuts to help drive water to the sea.

“This is the best method at the moment” to protect Bangkok, Mr Wim said. “We are all working against time.”

Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the operations would allow the water to exit through three major rivers instead of just one – the Chao Phraya River which flows through Bangkok – as the government initially planned, and would therefore relieve the impact on the capital.

Some 8.2 million people in 61 of the country’s 77 provinces have been affected by the flooding, which has also halted production at many major factories north of Bangkok. Nervous residents have been stocking up on bottled water, rice, instant noodles, medicine and other essentials.

The Thai government said that protecting Bangkok from flood waters that have devastated large swathes of the country is its top priority and it is confident the capital is well protected from the deluge surging its way.

The head of the government’s Flood Relief Centre, justice minister Pracha Promnok, said some outlying parts of the city could be affected by floodwaters this weekend but most of the city would be spared by flood walls.

Three main water barricades north, east and west of Bangkok are “efficiently protecting” the city from being inundated, he said at a news conference.

Bangkok’s emergency irrigation system has the capacity to drain off about 550 million cubic metres of water per day, far more than the 100 million cubic metres per day that is flowing toward the city.

“Therefore Bangkok is safe,” the minister said.