Mass Clearing of Drains for Flood Relief

 | Mon 29 May 2017 08:20 ICT

CityNews – All relevant departments in Chiang Mai joined together to clear drains to help solve city’s flood problems which seems to have arrived unseasonably early this year.

On May 28, the Chiang Mai Governor Pawin Chamniprasart, the director and 200 officers of the Royal Irrigation Department Office 1, the deputy commissioner general and 40 members of the Chiang Mai 33rd Military Circle, over 300 officers of the Provincial of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office and staff from the Chiang Mai Municipality came together at the Chiang Mai Cultural Centre clear a two kilometre stretch of the city drains of detritus, hoping to increase capacity and allow a greater outflow and drainage of water from the city.

A two kilometre length of drains from Haiya to Mahidol have a diameter of 120 cms, but because these drains run through high density residential areas as well as many day and night markets, they have been filled with garbage as well as cooking grease, only allowing for 20-30cms for water to flow through. This has caused huge backflows and flooding, as can be seen by the hundreds of photos been shared on social media.

The Chiang Mai municipality has also committed to reviewing drainage around houses on the canal barricades along Ku Wai Canal, Mae Kha Canal, and Mae Kha Noi canals.