Don Mueang Airport assured for flood prevention this year

BANGKOK, September 26 (TNA) - Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) has assured flood prevention at Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport this year, as the construction of an over 13-kilometre floodwall surrounding the airport and its bordering Royal Thai Air Force headquarters is scheduled to be complete in mid-October 2012. AOT President Anirut Thanomkulabutr told journalists Wednesday that the over 13-kilometre floodwall, jointly constructed by AOT and the Royal Thai Air Force headquarters, has its height of 3.85 metres from the median sea level or about 1.62 metres higher than the surface of the Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, where the Don Mueang Airport and the Royal Thai Air Force are situated, and higher than the 1.20-metre flooded level in the area late last year. According to the AOT chief, 19 pumps with their total capacity of draining out water up to one million cubic metres daily have also been in good place for full operations whenever needed and water retention areas or kam ling, particularly three large ponds in the north of the Dom Mueang Airport where up to a total of one million cubic metres of water can be retained, have already been prepared as well. The AOT president said that AOT and the Royal Thai Air Force will jointly organize a new drill on flood prevention in the area on September 27 and will also seek cooperation with relevant parties soon, namely the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and local communities, on integral flood prevention measures. (TNA)