Bangkok works frantically to shore up defences against floods
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Pastor Dale Morgan
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.
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.
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