Combating the rains

“Meteorological forecasts indicate the city may receive up to 1,800mm of rainfall this year — well above the annual average,” Mr Jessada said.

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“Bangkok cannot afford to be complacent. Given current trends and past data, we must prepare accordingly,” he said.

He said that last month, individual daily rainfall reached up to 146mm, with several other days exceeding 100mm. These intense rain events have led to temporary flooding in multiple locations, including Bang Khen Round-about, Soi Ram Inthra 5 and Chaeng Watthana area.

Despite these incidents, Mr Jessada said that flood-caused problems in the most affected areas were cleared within three hours, thanks to the city’s enhanced drainage infrastructure and rapid-response teams.

Mr Jessada has identified 737 flood-risk locations across the capital, encompassing both public and private areas.

Three-phase strategy

He said the BMA has launched a three-phase strategy to manage the seasonal weather and reduce flood risks across the capital.

Phase 1 known as pre-rainfall preparation includes comprehensive inspection and maintenance of critical water management infrastructure.

Over 200 pumping stations, 243 water gates, 349 stormwater pumping wells, and 11 pipe jacking systems have been serviced and prepared for peak performance.

The pre-rainfall phase also includes inspection and maintenance of all four major drainage tunnels to ensure full functionality, dredging of 263 kilometres of canals to improve water flow, clearing and opening of 1,355 kilometres of waterways, cleaning of over 3,800 kilometres of drainage pipes across the city and deployment of mobile water pumps at identified flood-prone locations for rapid response.