Six
Ayutthaya districts were poised for emergency evacuation Tuesday as flash
floods were predicted for the evening hours in low-lying areas and along the
Chao Phraya River.
However, Ayutthaya governor Witthaya Phewphong
downplayed the anticipated flooding, saying those whose homes were washed out
could move to shelters already prepared for them, while large-scale evacuations
were not carried out, as cited in news reports and widely tweeted.
He said flood barriers along several sections
of the Lop Buri, Pa Sak and Chao Phraya rivers were now 6.7 metres high, while
a section near the temple now stood at 5.3 metres - one metre above the current
level.
Historic sites, including the famous Chai Watthanaram
Temple and an archaeological dig of a Portuguese community dating back to the
Ayutthaya period, have been flooded and the stagnant waters are threatening its
structure and foundations, the Fine Arts Department said.
A section of the floodwall collapsed, letting
in a stream of water from the Chao Phraya to swamp the temple and 1,700 homes,
leaving them under two metres of water.
Power was cut to many areas in Ayutthaya to
minimise electric shocks, throwing them into darkness after dusk fell. Resumption
of electricity was pending further notice.
The weather bureau repeated a warning of heavy
downpours and flash floods as Tropical Storm Nalgae lands in Thailand Thursday
and on Friday in six provinces - Tak, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan,
Ranong and Phang Nga.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra set up five
committees overseeing flood management in areas located in five major river
basins. The panels' initial task is to coordinate the operation of sluice gates
to prevent conflicts between residents suffering from and those saved from
flooding.
She said she was confident that the flood
waters would recede within a month, before she assigned Cabinet members
responsible for flood and water management to submit their post-flood
assistance or project proposals.
News alerts and situation updates are
broadcast on state-run radio and television channels every 30 minutes.
One panel is assigned for flood prevention in
Greater Bangkok while the rest are responsible for provinces adjacent or close
to the Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan rivers, all tributaries of the Chao Phraya and
Pasak rivers. Each panel is headed by a PM's Office Ministry inspector-general.
Science minister Plodprasop Suraswadi proposed
a measure to reduce water levels in the lower Chao Phraya, calling on owners of
large vessels to simultaneously sweep the water out of estuaries to allow the
river to accommodate more run-offs from flooded areas. The government would
subsidise fuel for the ships taking part, he said.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
insisted again that barriers protecting low-lying areas along the Chao Phraya
could contain the currents as long as the river did not reach 2.5 metres. A
300-year-old temple in Pathum Thani is now submerged and salvage work is
underway.
The daily flood damage report listed 224
people as drowned, 25 provinces as submerged and 168 main and smaller roads in
20 provinces as impassable.
News Desk
The Nation (Thailand)
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