The public relations office of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced that the Lat Krabang and Wat Krathum Sua Pa sluice gates were being opened.
The opening of the two gates would further raise the water level in the already brimming Klong Prawet, the PR office said.
The four districts are Lat Krabang, Prawet Suan Luang and Phra Khanong.
Earlier, the BMA was taken to task by failed Bangkok governor candidate of the Democrat Party, Suchatchavee Suwansawat, for taking no action to lower the water level in Klong Prawet, the main canal in eastern Bangkok. Suchatchavee said the BMA should speed up draining of water in Klong Prawet via the Phra Khanong sluice gate.
The PR office of the BMA also warned residents of Don Muang, Sai Mai, Sam Wa, Lak Si, Bang Khen, Chatuchak and Lat Phrao districts to brace for more rains from 5pm to 8pm on Monday.
Also on Monday, BMA Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told a press conference that the flood situation in most Bangkok areas was improving because the water levels in several Bangkok canals were going down on Monday morning.
He said that monitoring by the BMA found that the water in Klong Lat Phrao had dropped by 50 centimetres and in Klong Prem Prachakorn by 30cm.
He said Klong Lat Krabang and Klong Prawet were worrying because the water levels had not gone down, and there had been additional 60mm of rains in the areas on Sunday night.
Chadchart said he had instructed officials to open more sluice gates in Lat Krabang and Phra Khanong districts to speed up the water flow.
“We can’t open all gates 100 per cent but we have to do it gradually and observe the result first,” Chadchart said.
He said the BMA would try to improve the floodwater draining system in the next few years.
The governor added that the floods on several main roads were improving, including the roads in Lat Krabang district and Pattanakarn Road, and Phaholyothin Road at the Lak Si roundabout.
He said the Thepparak and Chang Uthit roads still had some water but the BMA might be able to drain out all the floodwater if there were no more rains on Monday.
Speaking at the same press conference, Chadchart’s deputy, Wissanu Supsomphol, said the BMA has borrowed water pumps from the Royal Irrigation Department to install at flood-prone spots to speed up water draining.
He said the BMA was trying to improve water flow in the Lat Phrao canal and Saen Saeb canal and would channel some water through the flood tunnel. He said the tunnel would be used to drain floodwater in Lat Krabang district as well.
BMA city clerk Khachit Chatwanit told the press conference that inner Bangkok was still safe from floods.
He said the BMA has received help from the Royal Thai Navy to deploy boats to speed up water flow on major canals and speed up water channelling to the flood tunnel.
Khachit said the water level was below the critical point and more water could be received from Suan Luang and Prawet districts.
“If there is a speedy outflow of water from Suan Luang and Prawet to Phra Khanong, the water from Lat Krabang will be drained faster as well,” Khachit said.
He warned people living near canals to try to erect sandbag barriers outside their houses.
“We have prepared sandbags, medicine, and mobile toilets to serve such areas. The Royal Irrigation Department has done its best to help us but the downstream areas have high water,” Khachit said.
“We cannot drain floodwater via Samut Prakan, so we must channel water out via the eastern and southern sides, which already have a lot of water. Some water must also be channelled through the western side.”
Source: The Nation