Bangkok ready to cope with water from the North

BANGKOK, Aug 2 (TNA) -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is working closely with nearby provinces to cope with floodwater from the North and tides from the sea and expects it can prevent flooding. Sansern Ruangrit, BMA’s flood prevention chief, said Bangkok and Pathum Thani could handle the flow of the Chao Phraya River at 2,500-2,800 cubic meters per second and there would not be a severe flood unless water from the North, rain and a high tide happened simultaneously. As heavy rain is predicted in the capital next week, the BMA has lowered the levels of main canals including Bang Sue, Saen Saeb, Lat Phrao and Prem Prachakorn canals, he said. Mr Sansern allays concern about a high tide, saying the critically high tide had happened on July 22. In Pathum Thani province, authorities were accelerating drainage of water from the North by opening local sluice gates and operating 22 pumps to quickly discharge water from Rangsit, Prem Prachakorn, Hok Wa Sai Lang and Rapipat Yaek Tai canals. The attempts already drained 5.89 million cubic meters of water from the province. (TNA)