BMA puts entire capital on alert

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BMA puts entire capital on alert

Governor issues order to repair sluice gate

Published: 2/11/2011 at 08:48 AM
Newspaper section: News

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra has given himself wide-ranging control over flood operations in the city and will send council workers backed by police to repair the controversial Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate.

Race is on to protect estate Workers at Bang Chan Industrial Estate in Min Buri district in the east of Bangkok race against time to move belongings to safety as well as stack sandbags to prevent flooding as water runoff threatens the estate after the sluice gate at Khlong SamWa was opened wider to release floodwater from inundated communities. PATTARACHAI PREECHAPANICH

MR Sukhumbhand's dramatic move last night is in defiance of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's order for the BMA to widen the sluice gate to one metre. She took the action after nearby residents destroyed part of the sluice gate under the eye of police to speed up the drainage of their communities.

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: Writer: Post Reporters; Position: Reporters

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farangsg
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Discussion 58 : 02/11/2011 at 06:10 PM58
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Yingluck must allow nature to take its course. She should have allowed the sluice gate to open wider (not totally) such that the water can be drained off faster.

The previous strategy of closing the sluice gates, or current strategy of slowly draining off Bangkok is wrong! What about those "holding" the water north up? They are also humans, no lesser than Bangkok residents.

If only Yingluck had instructed it to be opened earlier, and allow slight flooding in Bangkok, it would not have accumulated so much water as it is today, as a significant portion would be drained off through east and west Bangkok.

It seemed that Yingluck has failed as PM by giving preference to Bangkok people. What an irony, as the people who voted for her was clearly the northern people! Flood the north to keep Bangkok dry! Shame on her!
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maeab
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Discussion 57 : 02/11/2011 at 05:50 PM57
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Mr sukhumbhamb is doing a great job I think we should stay positive and back him 100 percent at least he is trying to make the right decisons.
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pjt
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Discussion 56 : 02/11/2011 at 05:44 PM56
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Actually the governor is enforcing the PM's order to have the water flow based on the gate set at 1m open by repairing the gate. At present due to the damage caused by the locals water is flowing round the gate as well as through it - so at a faster rate than the PM instructed. BTW the PM today confirmed that repairs were being conducted jointly by BMA, IRD and MA&C. Presumably if she were not happy then she could have issued an order (under S31)for them to cease and desist from such repairs!!
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howell
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Discussion 55 : 02/11/2011 at 05:27 PM55
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@wakeup. Spot on ! 'If you want to blame someone for rural flooding - blame PTP TRT PPP who's lorded over these areas for over a decade and done nothing to rectify what is a reoccurring problem.'

160 billion baht was given and 160 billion baht 'disappeared'.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 54 : 02/11/2011 at 05:08 PM54
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Not to worry, Yingluck with her vast experience has the situation well in hand. She has prepared for her job her entire life, working her way up from rags to riches in her brother's companies. Hah! What has MR Sukhumpand got to offers besides his Oxford education, the same as Abhisit. Yingluck has an MBA from prestigious Kentucky State University! Eat your hearts out. Na kha.
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majority
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Discussion 53 : 02/11/2011 at 04:46 PM53
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I think Bangkok is one of the last gates to go through, before the water from the North can flow to the sea. If I am correct, then every people in Thailand, should agree to allow the water goes through Bangkok instead of stopping the water between Bangkok and the sea, and to end up Bangkok becoming an island of "Thai water", not "Thai land" (no more land left to stand, even for rats, in too many provinces under meters of water). Selfish politicians should stop acting against the order of the Mother Nature (water flows from high to low level), now! Stop adding more troubles now to make the effort to save Thai land a mission impossible, just for the sake of saving Bangkok land, which will end up under water anyway only for a few weeks (only 0.5 meter under water against few meters in the provinces)!
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factspeak
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Discussion 52 : 02/11/2011 at 04:28 PM52
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Disc 44: I have just one counter example to offer - your argument is valid for every other case I know of: during the terrible Tsunami in Japan and the following Fukushima disaster I have not heard of any incidents where Japanese people did not queue quietly and orderly for their rationed food, or even selflessly offered to sacrifice themselves to cleanup contaminated areas.
Protests yes, hardship yes, but confrontations none.

There is a time for doing what is needed, all together, and this is now. The rule of law should prevail.
There will be a time to reflect on what should have been done better and what can be done better in the future, back to divisive politics, and I don't think now is the right time.
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peterl
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Discussion 51 : 02/11/2011 at 04:19 PM51
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At the present time it does not look as if Bangkok residents have much to thank their Governor for, let alone people living elsewhere in Thailand. He should concentrate more on taking quiet behind the scenes steps to improving Bangkok's drainage capacity, by for example dredging canals which have been allowed to get silted up under his watch and less on grand publicity seeking gestures..
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subcoman
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Discussion 50 : 02/11/2011 at 04:19 PM50
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Well this is odd... I see the same old names supporting MR Sukhumbhand's disregards. Something that was called "act of sedition" during Abhisit government by the same people who are now clapping hands for MR Sukhumbhand.

They were singing a different song last year and encouraging for a strict application of law during the Red shirts rally. It's interesting how ethics are so flexible.
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android
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Discussion 49 : 02/11/2011 at 04:09 PM49
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Obviously the bangkok governor has committed an offence under Section 31 of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act 2007. If the government find it a bit embarassing to prosecute the governor, then apply to court for an injunction order to stop the governor's act to block the water sluice gate again. Let the court decide if the so called " governor's authority" as claimed by Sukhumbhand is applicable in this critical flood crisis.
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