Mounting garbage part of capital's flooding problem

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Mounting garbage part of capital's flooding problem
SASITHORN ONGDEE

BANGKOK: -- TWO WEEKS ago, Bangkokians experienced the horror of being stranded in traffic for hours, as a flash flood hit Bangkok and its outskirts after heavy rains.

Shockingly, it was found that "garbage" was the major cause of the capital becoming paralysed. More than 10 tonnes of waste like foam packaging and plastic items were everywhere in pipes and sieves. Even discarded items like couches, wardrobes and jars were found in canals, blocking the drainage system from conveying the rainwater out of the city.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra once again incurred the public's wrath, as he was abroad at that time. The governor had vowed in 2010 to solve the capital's flood problem in the next five years.

Responding to the criticism, he said he could not fix the problem in two days.

Building a plant to convert the city's waste into energy seems to be an answer to the question of how to get rid of Bangkok's mounting waste, which accounts for one-fifth of the waste accumulated daily nationwide. Moreover, the new rule on building the plant was recently relaxed - even a plant with over 10 megawatts capacity can be built without a report on environmental assessment impact.

Bangkok, home to 13 million people, generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste every day on average, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

Of the total, only 3,000 tonnes a day are reused and recycled while the remaining figure needs to be disposed of. Most of it is disposed of in an inappropriate way like illegal "open dumping" that can be harmful to the environment and also unhygienic.

To deal with as much as 70,000 tonnes of additional waste nationwide per day, the waste-to-energy plants can be a choice. Of all types, incinerators are considered as unfriendly to the environment.

However, the ruling government tends to favour waste-to-energy incinerators. Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda revealed recently that the authorities have prepared 141 sites for waste disposal, of which 44 have potential for incinerators.

Regardless of the efficiency of electricity generation, the incineration process - in which unsorted wastes are allowed to burn - could be a good way. A 1MW plant requires some 200 tonnes of solid waste daily.

The incinerator looks simple, cutting out any complicated process in waste sorting. But who is going to estimate how much "dioxins" are left behind after the combustion? Also, who will be responsible for that if they are exempted from an EIA report?

It's doubtful whether the "Code of Practice" guidelines are enough to cover waste incinerators.

To ensure safety, the authorities should set aside a few areas for incinerators while supporting other processes that are less harmful such as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plants, which required combustible waste to be sorted out from the mixed garbage. This process will need about 100 tonnes of unsorted wastes for 1MW of electricity, as Phichai Tinsuntisuk, chairman of the alternative energy group, Federation of Thai Industries, said. Rather than disposing the waste, the RDF plant can attain an efficiency rate of electricity generation at 36 per cent, higher than the incinerator's 14 per cent.

Fortunately, Bangkok's residents will no longer need to dump their bulky garbage in the canal, as the BMA will collect them every Sunday, an initiative launched to try and reduce the problem of garbage hindering the capital's water-draining capacity.

One of the best ways the government can deal with this problem is to seriously campaign among residents to sort their garbage.

The incinerators cannot be the "only" answer for the mounting garbage.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Mounting-garbage-part-of-capitals-flooding-problem-30262655.html

-- The Nation 2015-06-19

[lovelomsak]

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra once again incurred the public's wrath, as he was abroad at that time. The governor had vowed in 2010 to solve the capital's flood problem in the next five years.

Responding to the criticism, he said he could not fix the problem in two days.

I canot help but laugh when i read somethings in the news.

Bangkok Governor 5 years ago said he would solve the problem with flooding. Now people criticise him he talks like he he just found out about the problem and cannot fix in 2 days. These guys never cease to amaze me.

[Robby nz]

The commentator tells us " "The incinerators cannot be the "only" answer for the mounting garbage." But fails to suggest any others.

The most popular 'other' is landfill which has been shown to generate significant quantities of methane and other so called greenhouse gases as the rubbish decomposes and the rubbish is in fact still there only hidden from sight.

A major factor against incinerators is the NIMBY thing, nobody wants one near them.

[geriatrickid]

The commentator tells us " "The incinerators cannot be the "only" answer for the mounting garbage." But fails to suggest any others.

The most popular 'other' is landfill which has been shown to generate significant quantities of methane and other so called greenhouse gases as the rubbish decomposes and the rubbish is in fact still there only hidden from sight.

A major factor against incinerators is the NIMBY thing, nobody wants one near them.

And where do you propose the landfill be located? It certainly won't be in close proximity to Bangkok because a safe landfill must be situated far from the water table. Your option would require transport to locations far away and that would cost money and would put more heavy trucks on the road.

Landfills have to be properly constructed. They also require unsafe waste to be kept out of the landfill. Considering that the local residents of Bangkok can't even respect the most basic of safety rules and can't put garbage in the appropriate place, how would you expect the proper sorting requirement to be respected?

Here's an ever better option: Minimum 1 million baht fines and 1 year jail terms for company executives who dump waste illegally.

Minimum fines of 10,000 baht/ 30 days of community service cleaning up trash for people who dump big trash like sofas and a minimum 1000 baht / 30 days community service picking up trash for small litterers.

[ChrisY1]

These people in these positions just seem to bumble along on their high horses and do very little.

Huge budgets are requested for many projects and invariably get wittled away through massive incompetance and corruption.......with the end result, projects are never completed and/or shoddily constructed or installed.

The roles of governors in Thailand needs to be seriously looked into.....whatever province one looks at, these people are mostly quite useless and only driven by corruption.

[eddie61]

just tax plastic packaging,,,,,,,,

No Chinaman will give you something of value for free.

that includes 80% of retail distribution in Thailand

Even Thais cooking noodles can get around the maths

end of waste problem.......

Edited June 19, 2015 by eddie61

[Chao Lao Beach]

Yet land fill is 4600b a tuckload in Bangkok .......... I would be happy to bury some garbage and let it rott for 5 years at that price.

[anon467367354]

The Japanese have a machine that takes plastic and turns it back into oil.

Why is Thailand not creating their own machine to to the same thing?

Why is Thailand not growing hemp for the oil to be used in making plastics

and nutritional cooking oil and fuel? Why would they not?

Why is Thailand not enforcing littering laws when Thai people do it?

Yesterday on the express boat, some guy holding a small plastic back with a very small empty water bottle

moved to the front of the boat and tossed it in the river. I jumped all over his shit, and no one said anything!

As long as the people accept this lazy disrespectful behavior it will never change and Thailand will continue

to have 3rd world problems caused by 3rd world mentalities.

[FloridaExport]

I'm not sure how the trash being contributing factor is a surprise to anyone.

Pretty funny that the public is blaming the governor for all the trash that ends up clogging klongs, drainage pipes, and grates. I wonder if he had help putting all the trash there. People always want to blame others for their problems, but if everyone did their part, the majority of this trash would not end up clogging up the works.

[Emster23]

"the horror of being stranded in traffic for hours," how is that different from any other days? Psst try recycling, deposits on bottles, banning styrofoam, etc etc. Ain't rocket science

[lujanit]

"the horror of being stranded in traffic for hours," how is that different from any other days? Psst try recycling, deposits on bottles, banning styrofoam, etc etc. Ain't rocket science

Recycling is alive and well. Every day I see so many people pushing carts, riding converted motor scooters all piled high with cardboard, plastic bottles etc. Anything that can earn these poor folks their next meal. Within 3 kilometres there are at least 5 centres which buy the stuff the collectors bring in.

The problem is the other non-recyclable domestic and commercial rubbish. Drive along any soi or larger road and the fringes are covered with this sort of garbage. Many people just don't pay the District Office for a weekly garbage collection so nothing gets collected and people are forced to get rid of it themselves. Easiest way is chuck it into a nearby klong or on the roadside.

We are suffering in our Moo Baan from this very problem. Most people don't pay the fee and now the garbage is collected maybe once every 3 weeks. What I can't understand is why the village committee just doesn't add the 40 baht a week fee to everyones annual fee instead of each household having to pay it to the District Office. Then again there are a lot of people who refuse to pay that annual fee also. But that is another story. A 5 million baht story!

Blaming the BKK Governor for the actions of thousands of others is a cop out and a cheap shot IMHO.

[MikeN]

Earlier this year after visiting Jim Thompson's house I strolled down to the nearby khlong, to see a woman dumping a pickup load of garbage bags into the water. Some floated away slowly, some sank. If she did that regularly next to a tourist spot, what are the rest of the canals like ?

[jackanapes]

I don't want to be regarded as a thai basher but the dumping of garbage seems to be prevalent throughout the country I know myself areas designated for building on are constantly used for fly tipping I firmly believe these people should when caught be made to clean up all the garbage in the area these are people with no respect for their country .

[LALes]

Nothing succeeds in this country like fines for the BIB to collect. Have some seriously fineable offences and you will see some action.

[Thaddeus]

Coconut shells and banana leaves make good packaging.

[fred Kubasa]

I had this problem with the storm drain right in front of my US home& it was not cleaned regularly so : I attached

a circular piece of ordinary window screen to the bottom side of the cover and periodically lifted & emptied it. No

further city cleaning was ever necessary !

[NickJ]

The mounting garbage in Bkk is going to become an even larger problem. Beijing has a similar problem and they are planning on spending a huge sum of money over the next five years there. Bangkok has no where near there resources.

[The Beguiled]

Amazing Thailand again.

Most Thais have become use to dropping/dumping their waste from cooking vendors into the nearest drain or ground where they walk.

Now this waste has to go somewhere but Thais don't seem to care.

When a problem such as the flooding arises then the Governor get the kick in the pants but not the Thais that created the cause.

Amazing Thailand

[Rogergreybeard]

Amazing Thailand just one big pile of shit let's have another meeting

[HOAX]

Hey Thailand!!! I have an idea... Place out some garbage cans. lol.

Seriously though... Thailand has like 1 garbage can per city. What`s the point with cleaning up a few tons a day when the Bangkokians adds 70,000 tons of new garbage waste a day?

Bangkok alone needs at leased 100,000 new garbage cans, and perhaps as many as 500,000... and I`m not talking about those tiny ones made out of tires. Thailand needs to invest in high tech garbage trucks that can pick up the cans, by only the driver, which will save time and money.

Thailand also need to tell these shops (Lotus, 7, locals...) to learn how to stack groceries in bags. I don`t need 12 plastic bags for my groceries when all I need is just 2.

In addition to that perhaps the government should educate it`s citizens on why it`s so important and how to do it. Start with the schools, and throw in some commercials on TV as well. Fining people for dumping waste on the ground could also be a good thing... but only if the waste bins are not full. If they are full, then hand that fine over to the responsible garbage company.

Maybe a reward-programme is needed to help cleaning the city, because Bangkok look and smells awful. A city that makes me happy and relieved to exit. It shouldn`t be like that.

Edited June 19, 2015 by HOAX

[Thai at Heart]

I fail to see how waste incinerators are going to solve the problem of millions of people using the drain as a dump. Maybe a 10k fine for fly tipping in the drain might be s start. And where exactly does all the street vendors oily water end up?

[maidee]

it tought they would clean up the clongs from all the illegal people living there

[elgordo38]

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra once again incurred the public's wrath, as he was abroad at that time. The governor had vowed in 2010 to solve the capital's flood problem in the next five years.

Responding to the criticism, he said he could not fix the problem in two days.

I canot help but laugh when i read somethings in the news.

Bangkok Governor 5 years ago said he would solve the problem with flooding. Now people criticise him he talks like he he just found out about the problem and cannot fix in 2 days. These guys never cease to amaze me.

You cannot blame the man he is tooo busy "Governoring" It is a taxing job and he deserves a holiday outside the country from time to time. His attitude seems to say the next election is a bit far off in the distance so why cater to the lowly voter now. Politics is all a matter of timing.

[northernjohn]

I'm not sure how the trash being contributing factor is a surprise to anyone.

Pretty funny that the public is blaming the governor for all the trash that ends up clogging klongs, drainage pipes, and grates. I wonder if he had help putting all the trash there. People always want to blame others for their problems, but if everyone did their part, the majority of this trash would not end up clogging up the works.

Not going to read all the posts. Pretty well got the drift. Thais living like third world people using first world products.

Thank you for your reasonable post. There is a lot of common sense in it.

[Srikcir]

The commentator tells us " "The incinerators cannot be the "only" answer for the mounting garbage." But fails to suggest any others.

The most popular 'other' is landfill which has been shown to generate significant quantities of methane and other so called greenhouse gases as the rubbish decomposes and the rubbish is in fact still there only hidden from sight.

A major factor against incinerators is the NIMBY thing, nobody wants one near them.

And where do you propose the landfill be located? It certainly won't be in close proximity to Bangkok because a safe landfill must be situated far from the water table. Your option would require transport to locations far away and that would cost money and would put more heavy trucks on the road.

Landfills have to be properly constructed. They also require unsafe waste to be kept out of the landfill. Considering that the local residents of Bangkok can't even respect the most basic of safety rules and can't put garbage in the appropriate place, how would you expect the proper sorting requirement to be respected?

Here's an ever better option: Minimum 1 million baht fines and 1 year jail terms for company executives who dump waste illegally.

Minimum fines of 10,000 baht/ 30 days of community service cleaning up trash for people who dump big trash like sofas and a minimum 1000 baht / 30 days community service picking up trash for small litterers.

"a safe landfill must be situated far from the water table."

That is not a scientifically true statement. It would be desirable but not mandatory give current impermeable barrier and leaching collection technologies. In addition modern methane collection technology is available to recycle the gas for electricity production.

But what is important is rigorous engineering for landfill sites and that requires effective planning, design, and inspection. The current Bangkokian and national administrations do not seem to have such discipline. However, a number of well-known foreign companiesthat have such expertise are available on turnkey basis if the administrations are willing to pay competitive compensation for their services.

[nakhonandy]

I'm not sure how the trash being contributing factor is a surprise to anyone.

Pretty funny that the public is blaming the governor for all the trash that ends up clogging klongs, drainage pipes, and grates. I wonder if he had help putting all the trash there. People always want to blame others for their problems, but if everyone did their part, the majority of this trash would not end up clogging up the works.

Not going to read all the posts. Pretty well got the drift. Thais living like third world people using first world products.

Thank you for your reasonable post. There is a lot of common sense in it.

I can understand people blaming him, he is in charge after all. Plus he vowed to solve it 5 years ago.

However as you rightly point out the root cause is garbage.

It is not an easy one to solve as almost everyone does it.

Sort this problem out and 5B Baht for flood drains may not even be needed.

[joshstiles]

this solution is so simple...just raise the garbage collection fee to 220 b / month and then nobody will throw their trash in garbage bins anymore....

....however, the canals and roadsides will become ever more popular refuse places.....

.........problem solved

[Jonmarleesco]

'Shockingly, it was found that "garbage" was the major cause ...' The quotation marks are appended to the wrong word.

[djjamie]

Do what ever other country does when collecting garbage. Separate it, delegate it and dispose of it appropriately.

[Cake Monster]

Headline should read.

" Mountain of garbage part of capital,s flooding problem "