The Thai government said Friday that protecting Bangkok from flood waters that have devastated large swathes of the country is its top priority and it is confident the capital is well protected from the deluge surging its way.
The head of the government's Flood Relief Center, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, said some outlying parts of the city could be affected by floodwaters this weekend but most of the city would be spared by flood walls.
Three main water barricades north, east and west of Bangkok are "efficiently protecting" the city from being inundated, Pracha said at a news conference.
Bangkok's emergency irrigation system has the capacity to drain off about 550 million cubic meters of water per day, far more than the 100 million cubic meters per day that is flowing toward the city.
"Therefore Bangkok is safe," Pracha said.
Erroneous reports Thursday said that flood waters had broken through a key barrier protecting Bangkok, leading the government to order residents in the area to urgently evacuate. The Flood Relief Center later apologized for the "misinformation," saying the evacuation order had been reversed and that damage to the gate had been overestimated.
Emergency crews were working to repair the damage to the Khlong Ban Phrao Floodgate, just north of the city, and residents were asked to remain on alert for flooding. Gov. Peerasak Hinmuangkao of Pathum Thani province said the gate would be repaired by the end of the day.
At least 283 people have been killed in Thailand since late July by floods and mudslides that have covered entire towns, devastated rice crops and shut dozens of factories.
Bangkok has been spared so far but authorities had previously said that waters rushing from the north could combine with rains and high tides in the next few days to flood the city.
Buildings in many areas of the capital have stockpiled sandbags, while others have built protective walls from cement and cinderblocks. Nervous residents have been stocking up on bottled water, rice, instant noodles, medicine and other essentials.
Government spokesman Wim Rungwattanajinda said the main canals east and west of Bangkok would be dredged by Friday to allow more water to flow from flooded northern provinces. He said authorities are also digging canal shortcuts to help drive water to the sea.
"This is the best method at the moment" to protect Bangkok, Wim told The Associated Press. "We are all working against time."
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the operations will allow the water to exit through three major rivers instead of just one — the Chao Phraya River which flows through Bangkok — as the government initially planned, and will therefore relieve the impact on the capital.
Some 8.2 million people in 61 out of the country's 77 provinces have been affected by the flooding, which has also halted production at many major factories north of Bangkok.
