Bangkok works frantically to shore up defences against floods
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Pastor Dale Morgan
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Oct 18, 2011, 6:06:34 PM10/18/11
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Perilous
Times and Climate Change
Bangkok works frantically to shore up defences against
floods
Soldiers and volunteers building dykes after governor warns
capital still at risk from Thailand's worst floods in half a
century
* Associated Press in Bangkok
* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 18 October 2011 17.37 BST
Thai workers and volunteers fill bags with sand to prevent
flooding in Bangkok.
Soldiers and residents have been racing to pile sandbags as
floodwaters headed towards Bangkok from several sides on Tuesday.
Much of the efforts in recent days have been aimed at shoring up
defences along the city's northern perimeter, facing the brunt of
runoff from inland areas where Thailand's worst flooding in half a
century has killed 315 people. Officials have added concerns about
a new front: a flood plain near Suvarnabhumi airport.
Droves of civilians joined soldiers to build dykes after Bangkok's
governor delivered a late-night TV warning that the city had until
Wednesday to lay down 1m sandbags to protect an especially
vulnerable 3.7-mile stretch.
"When the governor said we had 48 hours left, I thought we could
not just wait until the water arrived, so I took a day off and
volunteered," said Suriya Termchoksap, a 39-year-old IBM worker
who was helping to build a dyke along a key canal.
The government has been fighting a losing battle north of the city
against floods in communities where residents have been trapped on
the upper floors of their homes.
Monsoon downpours that began in July have affected two-thirds of
the country, bringing life to a standstill in several towns and
cities where some areas remain under more than 6ft (two metres) of
water..
Hundreds of factories have been swamped. Analysts say the floods
have cut projections for economic growth in 2011 to 2.5%, down
from 4.4%, and could inflict about $6bn (£4bn) in damage – an
amount that could double if floods swamp Bangkok.
Outside the capital, the military is helping to deliver relief
supplies to stranded residents struggling to survive in
half-submerged towns.