The President of KMITL emphasizes the 'Underground Water Reservoir BKK' concept, an important innovation for rainwater management, and proposes 'Soi Water Reservoirs' to tackle the flooding issue at the end of alleys.

The President of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) reiterated the proposal for the construction of 'Underground Water Reservoir BKK', an innovative solution to the flooding problem caused by rain for the residents of Bangkok. This involves creating underground reservoirs to collect rainwater from the streets, storing it underground until it can be drained to water sources. Additionally, the 'Soi Water Reservoirs' concept aims to address flooding issues at the ends of alleys, effectively managing stagnant water within 15 minutes, potentially saving over 500 million baht in time and economic losses for each flooding incident lasting two hours.

Prof. Dr. Suchatchavee Suwansawat, President of KMITL, stated that Bangkok's infrastructure resembles a basin, with roads lower than water sources. When it rains, the water cannot drain properly because the drainage pipes are higher than the alleys and roads. Although Bangkok has a 'giant drainage tunnel' to mitigate flooding, its limited drainage capacity and issues with debris blockage prevent it from functioning at full efficiency, resulting in excessive water accumulation on the streets and subsequent flooding.

Therefore, the technology proposed to address this issue is the construction of 'Underground Water Reservoirs', following the royal initiative of King Rama IX. Tokyo, Japan, has also implemented underground water reservoirs capable of holding up to 350,000 cubic meters of water.

The innovative concept of Underground Water Reservoir BKK involves creating underground reservoirs by opening small surface channels and using drilling equipment to excavate large underground storage areas. Four main drainage pipes will be constructed, connecting to other drainage systems in Bangkok to transport rainwater from the streets to be stored underground for later drainage to water sources.

This initiative can be piloted in Benjakitti Park, covering an area of over 130 rai, with a service area of 900,000 square meters, capable of holding more than 100,000 cubic meters of water. Additionally, the model of Soi Water Reservoirs is proposed for areas that frequently experience flooding during rain, effectively managing stagnant water within 15 minutes.

“Research indicates that if about 50 percent of Bangkok's area is flooded for 120 minutes, it could result in economic losses exceeding 500 million baht. If we reduce the flooding duration to 15 minutes, the loss would only be 60 million baht, equating to a reduction of over 440 million baht for each flooding event. When compared to the economic loss relative to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during a two-hour flooding event, which stands at 0.0114 percent, the 'Underground Water Reservoir' requires a relatively low investment but can significantly enhance flood management efficiency,”

SOURCE: www.bangkokbiznews.com