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About half of that has already drained into the sea, leaving about 350 billion cubic feet (10 billion cubic meters) of water threatening Bangkok, much of it spread across rice fields in Thailand's central plains. Plodprasop said it will take about 20 more days to drain those floodwaters into the Gulf of Thailand, a task he said was complicated by the fact that the nation's irrigation system was designed to control water flows for farming and consumption
-- not to prevent floods. "We have never faced such a huge mass of floodwater in the fields," Plodprasop said. He said he believed inner Bangkok "should be safe, as we have an extensive drainage system with water pumps to drain excess water out quickly." But some of the city's outskirts could flood up to 6 feet (2 meters) deep, he said. While Bangkok has so far survived mostly unscathed, images of disaster just outside the city have spooked residents, who are girding for the worst after Yingluck urged all Bangkokians to move valuables to higher ground. Thousands of cars are parked on elevated highways as drivers try to safeguard their vehicles. And some supply lines are being affected: one Thai company that delivers drinking water to city residents and businesses sent out an SMS to customers announcing its services had been halted because of the crisis. "The flooding this time is a critical problem," Yingluck said. "We need cooperation and sacrifice from everyone." To fight the crisis, Yingluck on Friday invoked her powers under a disaster law that gives her authority over all other official bodies, including local governments. The move should allow better coordination with the municipal authorities in Bangkok and help project Yingluck as a take-charge leader, after weeks of seeming indecision and confusion.
[Associated
Press;
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