BMA officials prepare for heavy rains

BANGKOK, June 9 (TNA) -- Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang has ordered concerned officials to be prepared for heavy rains in Thailand during the current rainy season. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials have inspected big trees in Bangkok to ensure that they are strong enough to withstand against strong winds. They also inspected large posters which are placed along footpaths or on tall buildings to make sure that they do not collapse and hurt people or damage properties. The BMA officials have grown nearly 5,000 trees in the capital and plan to grow another 5,000 trees before this year-end, in line with the government’s policy to make Bangkok green. Presently, there are more than three million trees in the capital. Also, about 95 per cent of BMA’s 1,500 water pumps are now repaired so that they could operate and drain floodwater into canals or Chao Phraya River, said Pol Gen Aswin. Starting next Monday, BMA workers will start dredging 250 canals in Bangkok and in surrounding provinces so that floodwater could flow easily during the monsoon season. The Meteorological Department has earlier issued a warning that a strong southwest monsoon is expected to prevail over the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Thailand and Thailand between June 8-11 while the monsoon trough lies across Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Heavy rains are expected in Thailand during the period. (TNA)