Aswin comes clean on Bangkok flooding

Bangkok Governor Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang has admitted that the 20cm-deep flooding at Bang Khen roundabout on Monday that took two hours to drain was because city officials could not get the key to turn on water pumps.

The flooding was criticised as a “water bank” underground well had been prepared and should have prevented prolonged flooding.

Aswin said the construction contractor had not handed over the well to the city so officials had no key to turn on the pumps.

“This kind of problem shouldn’t happen and this is the city’s fault,” he said during his Tuesday inspection of a water drainage system at Soi Vibhavadi-Rangsit 44.

He posted at facebook.com/aswinkwanmuang/ that he would take action on the big construction projects that blocked the city’s water drainage.

Citing the Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road where the Red Line train construction was ongoing, Aswin said columns and construction materials were blocking channels along the canal and beside roads in Chatuchak, Lak Si and Don Mueng districts.

Aswin said he had led Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials to discuss drainage and the traffic jams.

He said the BMA, Department of Highways, State Railway of Thailand and contractor agreed to dredge the roadside canal to increase its capacity, while additional drainage pipes would mitigate flooding caused by the railway construction.

Aswin promised to discuss congestion with the Metropolitan Police Bureau to arrange traffic flows during the construction period.

The Nation

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