Bangkok Floods, 19th November, 2011-'Life will return to normal by Dec 1'
'Life will return to normal by Dec 1' - The Nation
'Life will return to normal by Dec 1'
The Nation November 19, 2011 2:02 am
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Nonthaburi governor says people will be able to go home soon
Nonthaburi Governor Wichien Phuttiwinyu promised a gathering of angry residents yesterday that most of them should resume life as normal by December 1.
"There might be some flooding, but you should be able to return to your homes by then," he said.
He was speaking after about 1,000 Nonthaburi residents gathered at the city hall to demand that he tackle the crisis right away.
People in the province's Bang Bua Thong, Bang Yai, Bang Kruay and Pak Kret districts have been struggling with serious flooding for more than a month.
After listening to the residents' complaints and speaking to them, Wichien promised to get at least 1,000 pumps as soon as possible to drain the flood water.
Pheu Thai MP for Nonthaburi Chalong Riawraeng, who was also present at the gathering, backed Wichien's promise.
The governor said: "Flood levels should drop by more than 20 centimetres." He added that Bang Bua Thong should see the results first, though Sai Noi would continue being heavily flooded beyond December 1.
Wichien also said he would ask Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra to allow more water through the sluice gate in Mahasawas Canal as well as consider building a dam around the border between the two provinces.
"You can return on Sunday to hear the conclusion," he said.
Meanwhile, Chalong said that if the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) did not respond, Nonthaburi residents could take the matter in their own hands.
The residents got together yesterday after networking via Facebook.
'Dried at others' expense'
In a separate move, representatives from more than 10 neighbourhoods in Bang Bua Thong district demanded that Wichien block government efforts to dry Highway 340, which they say is making matters worse for them.
The government has been trying to drain flood waters from Highway 340 to make it passable, since it can be an alternative route if Rama II Road, which links the capital to the South, gets flooded.
Dissent among flood-affected residents has been rising, especially in areas where barriers have been put up.
On Thursday, a flood defence along the border of Bangkok's Sai Mai district and Pathum Thani's Khukot area was blown apart with firecrackers.
Sukhumbhand said representatives of the people affected by floods and the government's Flood Relief Operation Centre will meet for talks today.
"I won't be present because I don't want to be seen as taking sides. I will assign BMA officials to take part in the negotiations instead," he said, adding that he disagreed with any plans to remove the sandbag barriers.
He said as much as 4 million cubic metres of water would rush into Bangkok's Sai Mai district daily if the barrier were removed.
"If such huge volumes of water flow in, the flooding might drag into 2012," he said.
He was speaking after visiting Sai Mai residents, who asked him to stop people living in Khukot from tearing down more parts of the flood barrier. At press time, about 20 metres of the barrier had been damaged, allowing run-offs from Pathum Thani to rage into the area.
However, the level of Lat Phrao Canal, which runs through Sai Mai, dropped by 2-4cm yesterday. The level of key canals in the capital's east also dropped, as did the level of several canals in the west, though huge volumes of water from Nakhon Pathom's tambon Salaya still flowed into Bangkok.
