Bangkok: Three Million Tonnes Of Garbage, Dirty Water To Deal With

[webfact]

Tonnes of garbage, dirty water to deal with

The Nation

Bangkok will face a tough task getting rid of more than three million tonnes of trash and treating huge volumes of dirty water left behind by the flood.

A key problem is that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration cannot send garbage trucks to flooded areas while 9.4 million people in those areas were expected to generate about 500 kilograms of rubbish each over a number of weeks.

"A suggestion for residents at this moment is to keep the garbage and all kinds of waste above water," Worrasart Apaipong, acting directorgeneral of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry's Pollution Control Department, said yesterday.

People were dumping all kinds of flooddamaged debris such as stuff made from plastic, books, furniture and electronic devices, while some 500,000 cars were partially submerged and would need to change some parts such as batteries and engine oil, he said.

The department is coordinating with many authorities in Bangkok and other inundated provinces to prepare for garbage disposal, he said.

Flood victims should also help the authorities by separating their garbage, as many materials like wood, glass, plastic and paper could be recycled or reused.

Another serious issue was contamination of the water supply and water resources for public use.

The department has checked the water at 149 spots in all flooded provinces - Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom and Bangkok.

Some 23 per cent of the water was low quality. Some areas such as Tale Chupsorn subdistrict in Lop Buri had the worst, with a dissolved oxygen level of only 0.00.5 milligram per litre.

Water for public use in many surveyed areas was basically bad. Of that, 24 per cent was of poor quality, 32 per cent rated fair and only 21 per cent good.

The department surveyed groundwater in 18 spots and found that 6 per cent was poor, 11 per cent was fair and 6 per cent was of good quality.

The department has distributed many forms of bacteria to help treat wastewater.

The quality of water in the Chao Phraya River was relatively poor with dissolved oxygen at only 1.3 milligrams per litre.

In many locations in Bangkok such as Bang Phlat the water was contaminated with oil, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-11-07

[Jogden]

And who was the man that said last week that it's safe to drink Bangkoks tap water?

[FOODLOVER]

"The department surveyed groundwater in 18 spots and found that 6 per cent was poor, 11 per cent was fair and 6 per cent was of good quality".

I'm no math whiz but shouldn't these numbers add up to 100 per cent?

[LivinLOS]

"The department surveyed groundwater in 18 spots and found that 6 per cent was poor, 11 per cent was fair and 6 per cent was of good quality".

I'm no math whiz but shouldn't these numbers add up to 100 per cent?

They just didnt mention the 'very poor' and 'bloody awful' categories.

[FOODLOVER]

"The department surveyed groundwater in 18 spots and found that 6 per cent was poor, 11 per cent was fair and 6 per cent was of good quality".

I'm no math whiz but shouldn't these numbers add up to 100 per cent?

They just didnt mention the 'very poor' and 'bloody awful' categories.

Oh dear

[Keng11]

So whats new about three tons of garbage laying around Thai roads & streets?

[Danlo]

Yes it is going to take a lot of hard work and posative attitude to clear up all the mess, I just hope for the people's sake there is no western attitude to add to the disaster.

[john1000]

Wonder how many drowned rats....yuk!!

[ARGUSEYE]

A city the size of BKK must have several huge garbage dumps/landfills.

Does anybody know where they are and if they are flooded???

[hawthorne]

"The department surveyed groundwater in 18 spots and found that 6 per cent was poor, 11 per cent was fair and 6 per cent was of good quality".

I'm no math whiz but shouldn't these numbers add up to 100 per cent?

I think the missing 77% is in a category that is worse than POOR or they took samples at 18 locations but only tested 4 of samples and these are the results? Maybe there is a translation miss fire of the facts as seems to be the most likely cause of reporting.

Is it not amazing to see so many people smiling in such dire straits? Finding a little good in such bad times is a gift. This would be a great time for a higher power to create a sink hole to remove all of the water over night.

[siampolee]

This would be a great time for a higher power to create a sink hole to remove all of the water over night.

It's already done the sink hole is called, " Bangkok." Just going to take a bit longer than overnight to drain.

[ryladie99]

"The department surveyed groundwater in 18 spots and found that 6 per cent was poor, 11 per cent was fair and 6 per cent was of good quality".

I'm no math whiz but shouldn't these numbers add up to 100 per cent?

Thanks so much for posting..you make me laugh at the moment after I had to work today...plus I am worst when it comes to Math..

I would urge everyone not to drink water without boiling it...unless people have money to buy bottles water...hope Beer Singha gives them for free...my take and opinion.

Edited November 7, 2011 by ryladie99

[seaeagle]

These days, every single statement by a Public Official should end with the same as that on the cartoons : "That's all folks!"

[FOODLOVER]

A city the size of BKK must have several huge garbage dumps/landfills.

Does anybody know where they are and if they are flooded???

It's not Pattaya! (preemptive strike)

[lazeeboy]

i remember the dustman strike in the late 70s in london,the rubbish took months to clear and stank everywhere ,and as for the rats ,lets not go there.the cleanup will take longer than it has been flooded

[zakk9]

The water in many of the central Bangkok klongs is poisonous for anyone who hasn't been raised swimming in them, 365 days per year and there's hardly any circulation. The biggest difference is probably that now, it can be blamed on the flooding

[anterian]

Many micro organisms will survive brief boiling, you should boil for 5 minutes. If you use the type of kettle with auto shut off, leave the top open, then it will keep boiling. Boiling will not remove inorganic pollutants. For pure water collect the output from your aircon and melt the ice buildup in your fridge.

[softgeorge]

Just how much of this rubbish was already blocking all the drains and canals around the country pre floods. This incident will go but thais will still dump all the garbage in the rivers and streams and beside the roads and highways. The government should take this oppertunity to educate the people about dumping rubbish and the effects it has on the enviroment. A huge lesson has been dealt here and I hope they take the wakeup call.

[jalansanitwong]

The water around Thonburi charansanitwong rd is a dark yellow colour so it looks and smells like urine. YUUK ! Its almost sureal. Many large fish have escaped from farms up north and are coming down the canals en masse. Red Tilipia i think. Incredibly the Thais are fishing for them with home made rods and even cross bows believe it or not. How could they possibly eat those polluted fish ? I wouldnt be surprised if this flood kills thousands before its over.

[sydneyjed]

It's what lying around in hot,stagnated conditions that's the problem as the water becomes putrid and contaminated with all kinds of water/airbourne pathogens that will gladly attach themselves to humans..Human excrement,along with yes dead animal/rats won't exactly make these long term areas of flooding a very nice place to be in!!

[ryladie99]

A city the size of BKK must have several huge garbage dumps/landfills.

Does anybody know where they are and if they are flooded???

Good question and posting...I have no idea about the Garbage and what to do with it...Right now the American is worry about trashes from Japan Earthquake...University of Hawaii is tracking the ton of trashes that will reach the shores of Hawaii and the Coasts of California 3 years from now...

Hope the Thai government has the right answer..I do know the American sends her trashes to the landfill plus she ships some to China...By the way, I saw the Thai people burn their trashes when I was in the country 4-5 years ago Plus the Thai did recycle 60 years ago..sorry not sure about now...thing might change we never know..my take.

[Boatman]

These days, every single statement by a Public Official should end with the same as that on the cartoons : "That's all folks!"

Good one

[maidu]

So whats new about three tons of garbage laying around Thai roads & streets?

Try 30,000 tons, and (to answer your question), .....nothing new about it, except it's now waterlogged garbage.

Maybe some of the water-borne radioactivity from Fukushima will kill some of the toxic organisms that slowly flush down in to the bay, from the 10,000 acre cesspool known as Bkk.

Even in the best of time, there's asbestos dust (from roof shingles and auto brakes), dog poop from a million dogs, and a zillion other types of garbage seep out from Bkk.

Q. What's the one best thing a person can do for the environment?

A. Not have children. Each added child adds untold tons of garbage to this finite planet.

[DGS1244]

Many micro organisms will survive brief boiling, you should boil for 5 minutes. If you use the type of kettle with auto shut off, leave the top open, then it will keep boiling. Boiling will not remove inorganic pollutants. For pure water collect the output from your aircon and melt the ice buildup in your fridge.

Be very careful if you start to drink ultra pure water such as distilled or dionised it does not contain any bacteria, which you need to digest, and technically you can 'drown' with it. There are many documented cases of people dying from drinking pure water for too long.

[sting123]

Yes it is going to take a lot of hard work and posative attitude to clear up all the mess, I just hope for the people's sake there is no western attitude to add to the disaster.

Care to remind us what is western attitude?

Usually us, westerner, we use to plan ahead, we also to prepare contingency plans (as it is obvious we are only humans, so prone to errors and forgetting stuffs when planning).

We also usually do not hide behind fake statements (that Iwil not call total BS, because I would like to keep it polite).

Most of important, when we are humbled by a natural castastrophe, we do accept that fact and we do ask/beg for foreign expertises (recent examples would be New Orleans for USA, and the cyclone that crossed european France in 2000, that for 2 of the most 'arrogant' countries of the world)

I would tend to believe some western attitudes would have reduce the scope of the actual flood (that is nowhere a natural castastrophe by itslef, but a human failure if not even a human deed); and would certainly help in mitigating it in the present and near future.

Even us french would be glad and thankfull if such flood was hitting us (let say such phenomena might happend in the French RIviera , in the city of Nice specifically) and the US Navy was proposing a aircraft carrier for help.

[cougar52]

Yes it is going to take a lot of hard work and posative attitude to clear up all the mess, I just hope for the people's sake there is no western attitude to add to the disaster.

What is that left handed remark to MEAN???

[khaan]

So whats new about three tons of garbage laying around Thai roads & streets?

Try 30,000 tons, and (to answer your question), .....nothing new about it, except it's now waterlogged garbage.

Maybe some of the water-borne radioactivity from Fukushima will kill some of the toxic organisms that slowly flush down in to the bay, from the 10,000 acre cesspool known as Bkk.

Even in the best of time, there's asbestos dust (from roof shingles and auto brakes), dog poop from a million dogs, and a zillion other types of garbage seep out from Bkk.

Q. What's the one best thing a person can do for the environment?

A. Not have children. Each added child adds untold tons of garbage to this finite planet.

And costs $22000 USD per year to raise - an estimated $250000 per child from start to finish

[LivinLOS]

So whats new about three tons of garbage laying around Thai roads & streets?

Try 30,000 tons, and (to answer your question), .....nothing new about it, except it's now waterlogged garbage.

Maybe some of the water-borne radioactivity from Fukushima will kill some of the toxic organisms that slowly flush down in to the bay, from the 10,000 acre cesspool known as Bkk.

Even in the best of time, there's asbestos dust (from roof shingles and auto brakes), dog poop from a million dogs, and a zillion other types of garbage seep out from Bkk.

Q. What's the one best thing a person can do for the environment?

A. Not have children. Each added child adds untold tons of garbage to this finite planet.

And costs $22000 USD per year to raise - an estimated $250000 per child from start to finish

So what happens after they are 12 then ??

[elektrified]

The water around Thonburi charansanitwong rd is a dark yellow colour so it looks and smells like urine. YUUK ! Its almost sureal. Many large fish have escaped from farms up north and are coming down the canals en masse. Red Tilipia i think. Incredibly the Thais are fishing for them with home made rods and even cross bows believe it or not. How could they possibly eat those polluted fish ? I wouldnt be surprised if this flood kills thousands before its over.

I wondered the same thing when they were fishing for them in the sois of Chiang Mai when we were flooded. Some had nets and were catching large numbers of them, after they had been in water mixed with dead rats, snakes and dog feces.

[elektrified]

Yes it is going to take a lot of hard work and posative attitude to clear up all the mess, I just hope for the people's sake there is no western attitude to add to the disaster.

"...and the cyclone that crossed european France in 2000, that for 2 of the most 'arrogant' countries of the world)..."

Is there another France???