Thailand: BMA Kicks Off Canals Dredging Plan

February 7, 2012

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has begun the dredging of city canals in order to get ready for the arrival of heavy rain.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Deputy Governor Wallop Suwandee said on Saturday that he has urged officers at the Department of Drainage and Sewerage to speedily draw a conclusion on the dredging of all canals and sewers in the capital.

Mr. Wallop said that the preparation is intended to make this year’s work more systematic and as efficient as possible. Special attention is particularly needed at major waterways, such as Thawi Watthana Canal, Maha Sawat Canal, Prem Prachakorn Canal and Lat Prao Canal, where Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra expects all works to be completed by the end of May.

The BMA Deputy Governor conceded that the City Hall is worried about an earlier-than-usual arrival of the rainy season as rainfall in January alone proved to be 3-4 times higher than average.

He added that, so far, the Department of Drainage and Sewerage has managed to lower water level in many canals by 50-100 centimeters, from the mean sea level.

If the amount of rainfall in the capital is not more than 60 millimeters, the BMA is confident that the city canals will be able to cope with the situation. However, if rainfall amounts are more than that, there will likely be slight flooding for 2-3 hours before the situation returns to normal, according to Mr. Wallop.

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Dredging Today Staff, February 7, 2012;