The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration maintains that their office is not to blame for the snail-paced draining of floodwater in the city.
Deputy city clerk Jumpol Sampaopon said Thursday that Bangkok is subsiding at a rate of 1 to 10cms per year and this is the reason why the floodwater is flowing at a slower rate to the city’s canals.
At the same time, the official also denied that the flooding was caused by clogged drains and un-dredged canals. At least 29 low-lying areas in Bangkok suffered heavy flooding after the recent spate of heavy downpours. Thousands of motorists and commuters were stranded as major streets and thoroughfares went under water.
City Hall has been criticized left and right for a poor flood management response. The government as well as different sectors are saying that the BMA has been negligent in its duties.
However, Chulalongkorn University water engineer Sujarit Koontanakulvong came to their defense, saying that the city’s 20-year-old drainage system is not equipped to handle that much volume of rain.
Assoc Prof Sujarit said it will take the existing drainage system more than two hours to drain off 130mm of rain per hour since its capacity is only 60mm.
Besides installing more drains, the water engineer suggested that the BMA set up an electrical drainage system in Bangkok.
