A group of Bangkok residents is calling on City Hall to speed up its expropriation of land for a 130-rai reservoir in Kannayao and Klong Sam Wa districts so it can be built to hold flood water as the community has been plagued by regular inundation for years.
Even though the 130 rai of land is privately owned, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in 2017 announced it would use its lake for the development of the "Bueng Koo Bon Flood Catchment" project.
The reservoir is designed to hold 870,000 cubic metres of flood water. When fully developed, the reservoir would save 1.4 million residents of Klong Sam Wa, Kannayao, Sai Mai and Min Buri districts from chronic flooding.
A commercial development company is developing 30 rai of land nearby and the group, which has approximately 1,000 members, said residents fear the company will purchase the area meant for flood mitigation.
The group yesterday submitted a petition to Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang, asking him to expedite the land purchase study so the reservoir can finally be built.
"We wish to see the BMA flood-mitigation project realised," group representative Piraya Sawangvong told the Bangkok Post. "Otherwise, the area that is suitable to help drain flood water will disappear. Floods in our community will be harder to tackle."
The group said the BMA should visit the area in question within 15 days after the petition is received by Mr Aswin's representatives.
The Bueng Koo Bon Flood Catchment project is one of six aimed at solving chronic and severe flooding in the capital's low-lying eastern districts.
The BMA spent years preparing the land expropriation act for the lake and the group claimed the commercial land developer is now dredging in the area to build residential buildings.
"[Building a reservoir] is the cheapest and most effective way to tackle flooding," Ms Piraya said. "If the BMA is slow to act, the land might be taken away by the commercial developer or the cost of land could increase."
The BMA floated the idea to develop the area into a flood-catchment system after the epic flooding of 2011 that inundated eastern parts of the city. Under the project, the BMA is to acquire the land for the planned reservoir.
Ms Piraya said four of a total of six similar reservoirs are unlikely to be launched because commercial developers have already begun to develop houses and condominiums.
"We just want to see the BMA protect the land meant for the flood-catchment project," she said.
The eastern part of the capital city was once rice paddy fields. It is a low-lying area prone to flood.
In times past, flood water was usually mostly absorbed by the rice fields, but many parts of the east have now become residential areas, with commercial estates occupying much of the land.