Phuket Hotels, Businesses Targeted In Dirty Beach Canal Probe

[webfact]

Phuket hotels, businesses targeted in dirty beach canal probe
Phuket Gazette


Government Spokesman Prompong (in white shirt) has ordered all bars, restaurants and hotels along the Phuket canal to be inspected to ensure that they comply with environmental laws. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Hotels and businesses located along the canal that empties onto Bang Tao Beach will be inspected and forced to conform to wastewater-treatment standards, Government Spokesman Prompong Nopparit has announced.

The news follows the public exposure of dirty water in the canal that has caused a rash of health problems for tourists and local boatmen in the area, some of whom have even been hospitalized for blood infections (story here).

Government Spokesman Prompong and Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkhaosutthirak inspected three sites along the canal to see the pollution firsthand yesterday.

At the first site, near the Dalah Resort, Mr Prompong and his entourage of environmental experts found no dirty water in the area.

“At the next site, near Billy Bridge, the water started to get dirty. At the last site, near Bang Tao Bridge, two kilometers from the second site, the water was very dirty and smelly,” Mr Prompong told the press.

“There are many hotels, restaurants, bars, car wash shops and houses near the second and third locations we visited. The dirty water from these sources have caused many people to have skin problems,” he said.

“The long-term solution is to set up a wastewater-treatment system in the area. We are working on it and expect it to be operational within the next two years,” he added.

Mr Prompong ordered the Cherng Talay Administrative Organization (OrBorTor) to set up a task force to inspect businesses along the canal to ensure that they have adequate wastewater-treatment tanks installed.

“If they do not, they will be told not to release wastewater into the canal. If they do not comply, we will press charges against them,” he warned.

Mr Prompong also called on local villagers to not discharge untreated wastewater into the public waterway.

Akkarawat Hirunphun, director of the Phuket-based Regional Environmental Office 15, said tests conducted by his officers confirmed that the water in the canal at all three locations visited yesterday had average Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) readings well over the legal standard.

“Almost all the fish in the canal have died,” he said.

In response to local residents’ claims that the Cherng Talay OrBorTor had failed to take any action to redress the pollution, Mr Akkarawat explained that he had been informed that the Cherng Talay OrBorTor had held a meeting to find a solution to the problem.

“However, the Cherng Talay OrBorTor did not talk about this with the sub-district chief or village headmen in the area, so they did not know anything about what was being done,” he said.

Vice Governor Somkiet told the press that he ordered the Cherng Talay OrBorTor to dredge the canal wider so that the water would flow unimpeded into the sea, giving bacteria less opportunity to develop to dangerous levels.

“I also ordered the Thalang District Office and Cherng Talay OrBorTor officers to invite the owners of restaurants, bars and hotels along the canal to meet and discuss possible solutions to the problem,” he said.

“The relevant officers will be called in again to explain what progress has been made,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-hotels-businesses-targeted-in-dirty-beach-canal-probe-20878.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-04-24

[retell]

so what can be done until the wastewater plant is built and operational ,, collect all wastewater in big tanks that gona be emptied from time to time and that water is going where then ??

transported to the nearest plant for treatment ? dumped 2 km of coast in the sea ? in another canal ?

[NamKangMan]

"We are working on it and expect it to be operational within the next two years." - how many new hotels, guest houses, apartments, condo's, houses, bars, restaurants, shops, businesses will be built in the next two years here????

The "new" treatment plant will be inadequate before it's even completed.

[muratremix]

What about cr*p holes inside beaches in Phuket? The smell and the view is unbeliveable! Yes, you can actually see floating p00ps in it and it is next to you in Beach.

[Mudcrab]

we regularly hear of Phuket being a sh!thole. this now proves it

[fish fingers]

phuket is a hell hole

[LivinginKata]

phuket is a hell hole

Sigh Sigh - all I will say that Phuket has many positive attributes.

[Locationthailand]

I can't stand Phuket and the mafias who run it but why isolate this to the canals in Phuket? Look at Bangkok - Lad Prao and many others - floating pollution to the max yet nothing is EVER done here.

[rotorbreeze]

phuket is a hell hole

The fast growth on condo's here in Pattaya and no thought on infrastructure..sewers the main issue, my dentist friend whom flies his ultra-light weekly notices from the air along jomtien beach a dark spider web of pollution coming from the below surface of sea..seems raw sewage is being pumped out to sea...the surfacing of this dark water is in noticeable contrast to the ocean blue further out to sea...he sees the Russian tourist fully enjoying this unseen contrast swimming in the mix!...I will ask Karl the pilot to take his digital camera and capture this web of pollution...see if the editors will publish, "Warning about Swimming in Pattaya and surrounding beaches...