Polluted Water To Be Dealt With: Thailand Flood

[webfact]

Polluted water to be dealt with

The Nation

More than half of the flooded areas surveyed in 10 provinces are dealing with contaminated stagnant water and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is taking steps to clean and disinfect it, the authorities announced yesterday.

Of the 1.95 million rai (312,000 hectares) surveyed so far, flood water in more than 1 million rai is contaminated, permanent secretary Suphoj Towichukchaikul told a news conference yesterday. He added that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had instructed all involved agencies to solve the problem within 15 days.

Of the areas submerged in contaminated water, 650,007 rai are farms and plantations, while 357,540 rai are residential areas. The 10 provinces surveyed are Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Angthong, Suphan Buri, Saraburi, Lop Buri, Uthai Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Nayok and Chachoengsao.

Surveys of flooded areas in Nakhon Sawan, Pathum Thani and Ayutthaya are currently underway and it is suspected that at least 2.5 million rai is contaminated, Suphoj said.

The areas that need urgent attention are garbagedisposal sites as well as residential areas and farmland that have been flooded for more than 15 days.

To neutralise the contamination, 22,500 EM balls or mudballs made using Effective Microorganisms have been scattered in Ayutthaya province's Bang Pain district, where at least a million chickens are believed to have drowned.

"One EM ball is capable of disinfecting flood water in a 4squaremetre area," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-21

[Sydebolle]

So, in other words, Thais are drowing in their own pollution? Right so, maybe this will teach them a lesson in not throwing just absolutely everything anywhere. LOP = land of pigs!

[whybother]

He added that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had instructed all involved agencies to solve the problem within 15 days.

Miracle Thailand.

[JohnAllan]

Why must Thai politicians insist in imposing such ridiculous deadlines on every instruction they issue that comes with a timeline? It is highly unlikely that Yingluck has the faintest idea how long it will take - it could be three days; it could be a month. Much more realistic to emphasise the urgency, with regular updates required, than to state a specific timescale which probably won't be met.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Why must Thai politicians insist in imposing such ridiculous deadlines on every instruction they issue that comes with a timeline? It is highly unlikely that Yingluck has the faintest idea how long it will take - it could be three days; it could be a month. Much more realistic to emphasise the urgency, with regular updates required, than to state a specific timescale which probably won't be met.

Too sensible for Thailand - they like to issue agenda time-lines as it makes it look like they know what they are doing!!!

NB: I did say LOOK!!!.

[slapout]

2.5 million rai is under contaminated water and 22,500 tablets, which can facilitate 4 square meter each are the solution???? Hope the wise ones have brought into the equation depth of water in their 4 square meter treatment. What are the owners of the chicken farms doing to clean up their own mess???? The Thai tv interviews I watched gave the impression that they are awaiting government guidance, help and most important, money.

Where is the health ministry in this circle jerk??? Sorry, I forgot, they are in charge of condoms, to hold any potential population explosion down, plus foot disease, headache treatment, etc.

[samjaidee]

1 EM ball can decontaminate 4 sq.m. At what depth? 1 meter? 5 meters? 10 meters?

To quote a figure in square meters when talking about volume would appear to have little or no relevance. Surely there must have been journalists at his news conference asking questions.

It would take 400 EM balls to decontaminate 1 rai. Using the figures quoted above they would require 1.4 trillion EM balls to decontaminate all flooded areas? How, exactly, would they evenly distribute them? They really do live in some kind of fantasy land.

[Tanaka]

1 EM ball can decontaminate 4 sq.m. At what depth? 1 meter? 5 meters? 10 meters?

To quote a figure in square meters when talking about volume would appear to have little or no relevance. Surely there must have been journalists at his news conference asking questions.

It would take 400 EM balls to decontaminate 1 rai. Using the figures quoted above they would require 1.4 trillion EM balls to decontaminate all flooded areas? How, exactly, would they evenly distribute them? They really do live in some kind of fantasy land.

Not really. But when noone in the government has a brain more advanced than a retarded 13-year old, what do you expect?

[slapout]

Thai news showed a fellow in a small dingy throwing pills into the water around a (used ti be) egg laying facility, dead chickens floating around everywhere and a camera crew was sent out to film this futile exercise.

If the flood is getting any decent coverage by foreign journalist/film crews, with response (verbal and physical) by government as well as some of the hare brained ideas/action taken, potential tourists will run to cancel or they might come here, just as people go to the monkey pit at zoos, just to see what the little varmints will do next.

[wintermute]

What kind of disease can 1 million dead chickens floating in the water spread? Botulism, salmonella, and..?

[doggie888888]

I could have sworn I learnt in geography all those years ago that all great river deltas flood. And with floods come a all sorts of good stuff to make the soil fertile, like silt from upstream. Hence, the fertile delta regions were able to sustain large populations due to successful agriculture.. Mekong delta, Nile delta, Yangtze delta etc etc.

So now, floods bring filth, pollution and rubbish.

I wonder if they've revised the geography textbooks?

[Crushdepth]

"Effective mudballs"? Sounds like a scam to suck money from the government. I don't think there is any of natural microbes in the floodwater.

[cloudhopper]

What kind of disease can 1 million dead chickens floating in the water spread? Botulism, salmonella, and..?

Not to worry those EM balls will have it sorted within 15 days. Even less if they can push more water up hill. Doubt they'll even be needed in Bangkok.

But until then it will be a very good idea to keep any open wounds or skin abrasions away from surface water.

[Payboy]

"Effective mudballs"? Sounds like a scam to suck money from the government. I don't think there is any of natural microbes in the floodwater.

Hopefully not from that same govt. approved source which brought us the life saving GT200.

[daboyz1]

Why must Thai politicians insist in imposing such ridiculous deadlines on every instruction they issue that comes with a timeline? It is highly unlikely that Yingluck has the faintest idea how long it will take - it could be three days; it could be a month. Much more realistic to emphasise the urgency, with regular updates required, than to state a specific timescale which probably won't be met.

"All Thais will be rich in 6 months" T.S.

[rogerdee123]

1 EM ball can decontaminate 4 sq.m. At what depth? 1 meter? 5 meters? 10 meters?

To quote a figure in square meters when talking about volume would appear to have little or no relevance. Surely there must have been journalists at his news conference asking questions.

It would take 400 EM balls to decontaminate 1 rai. Using the figures quoted above they would require 1.4 trillion EM balls to decontaminate all flooded areas? How, exactly, would they evenly distribute them? They really do live in some kind of fantasy land.

Not really. But when noone in the government has a brain more advanced than a retarded 13-year old, what do you expect?

Probably most of them got their degrees at Ramkhamheng.

[soomak]

1 EM ball can decontaminate 4 sq.m. At what depth? 1 meter? 5 meters? 10 meters?

To quote a figure in square meters when talking about volume would appear to have little or no relevance. Surely there must have been journalists at his news conference asking questions.

It would take 400 EM balls to decontaminate 1 rai. Using the figures quoted above they would require 1.4 trillion EM balls to decontaminate all flooded areas? How, exactly, would they evenly distribute them? They really do live in some kind of fantasy land.

Actually, I did the calculation.

They need 406 million balls to clean 1 million Rai.

So far they used 22,500, so only 405.98 million to go !

but they will probably use it only in urban areas, not in rice fields and open land.

[Soutpeel]

I wonder if anyone in the goverment has given any thought to the possible outbreak of water borne disease in Thailand over the next few weeks/months.....the list of possibles is very long indeed and consequences could be just as devastating or more so than the actual flood water...

[philw]

I wonder if anyone in the goverment has given any thought to the possible outbreak of water borne disease in Thailand over the next few weeks/months.....the list of possibles is very long indeed and consequences could be just as devastating or more so than the actual flood water...

For sure a lot of serious brains are very worried about this, in the Govt and the civil service.

Also ordinary people...........

[whybother]

For sure a lot of serious brains are very worried about this, in the Govt and the civil service.

Also ordinary people...........

"serious brains ... in the Govt" ... an oxymoron if I've ever heard one.

[Soutpeel]

For sure a lot of serious brains are very worried about this, in the Govt and the civil service.

Also ordinary people...........

"serious brains ... in the Govt" ... an oxymoron if I've ever heard one.

Maybe "philw" mistyped and meant to say "seriously brainless".....

[hyperdimension]

Exactly what are the contaminants? Presumably, there would be bacteria, but how about chemicals from the many industrial parks that are now flooded, and what chemicals?

To neutralise the contamination, 22,500 EM balls or mudballs made using Effective Microorganisms have been scattered in Ayutthaya province's Bang Pain district, where at least a million chickens are believed to have drowned.

I don't think those "Effective Microorganisms" are going to neutralise toxic chemicals in the water; those toxic chemicals may actually kill the "Effective Microorganisms".