THAILAND - The prime minister and the
Bangkok governor offered differing views of the flood situation yesterday.
The premier said a critical mass of water had
already been diverted away from the capital, while the governor feared another
'wave' would hit the western part of the city.
"I have never said there would be no more
water in Bangkok, but the massive surge of billions of cubic metres from the
North was diverted through canals in the eastern part of the capital,"
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters.
City Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra,
meanwhile, said he did not believe information from the government-run Flood
Relief Operations Command (FROC) indicating that the flow of water from the
North was slowing.
The governor said the most critical locations
were Don Muang and Lak Si, where water levels were rising yesterday.
Levels in the west of the city were also
rising and needed close surveillance, he said.
Water in Thon Buri, Bang Plad, Thawee Wattana
and Taling Chan remained high. Bang Khae was critical. Many main roads in
western Bangkok such as Uttayan, Charan Sanitwong, Boromrajchonnee,
Kanchanapisek, Suan Pak and Putthamonthon 1 and 3 were inundated.
The problem was the drain system in the west
was not as good as in eastern Bangkok, he said. Western Bangkok got water from
Nonthaburi's Bang Kruay and Nakhon Pathom, he said.
"I will not cry 'crisis' where there is
no crisis, but nor can I say the disaster is over, either, as long as Don
Muang, Bang Plad and Thawee Wattana are inundated," Sukhumbhand said.
Yingluck said it was difficult to push water
from the western part of the capital out to sea, as canals in the area mostly
ran parallel to the coast.
However, the flood situation in Bangkok wasn't
as severe as in other provinces. "We have not allowed all the water to
surge into Bangkok at once," she said.
"May I offer my sympathy to all parts of
society, including people in Bangkok's suburbs (and adjacent areas) such as
Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Ayutthaya," Yingluck said.
The situation at many industrial parks such as
Rojana and Nava Nakhon would improve within two weeks of the water in eastern
Bangkok flowing out to sea, she said.
The government would spend at least three
months rehabilitating flood-damaged areas, she said, adding that state and
private banks would prepare over Bt300 billion in loans for victims of the
floods. These include business owners, the industrial sector and citizens who
need to rebuild or repair businesses or homes.
The Nation/Asia News Network
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