BANGKOK, (PNA/Xinhua) — The Thai government on Saturday urged people to be patient and trust the government in tackling the flood situation when the eastern part of the country is severely submerged.
Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, who oversees water management, made the call in weekly TV program “Yingluck Government meets the People” broadcasted on Saturday.
The deputy PM assured that the scenario like the devastating flooding in 2011 in which all major dams in Thailand were at full capacity would not happen. He said the major dams in Thailand are now at half of its capacity and can contain more than 10,000 million cubic meters.
Plodprasop earlier said that the flood situation this year is “not worrying.”
In 2011 Thailand was hit by devastating flood in the North, Northeast and Central region in which more than 500 people were killed.
He added that Bangkok would be 100 percent safe unless there is more heavy rain in the North for a couple of days.
Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paripatra said on Friday that the situation in Bangkok remained stable but he was concerned about waters from the North which would flow to the eastern side of Bangkok.
Sukhumbhand made inspection trips to sluice gates and water pumping stations in eastern Bangkok on Friday.
Officials in flood-prone districts were instructed to prepare sandbags to prevent flooding and help people in flood-hit areas, he said.
Several parts of Thailand, particularly the eastern region, have been severely submerged by flood.
The most severe flooding in the country now takes place in Kabin Buri district of eastern Prachin Buri province where some areas are under two meters of flood water.
Residents in Kabin Burin whose homes have been flooded on Thursday protested against the provincial authorities, demanding them to open water gates to release waters into rivers and canals in order to ease the flooding in the district.
Thirteen people have been killed, and 29 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have been hit by flood since Sept. 17, affecting more than two million people, according to the latest report by Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.