Major cleanup of Saen Saeb Canal approved

[rooster59]

Major cleanup of Saen Saeb Canal approved

BANGKOK: THE BANGKOK Metropolitan Administration will receive almost Bt7 billion under a two-year plan to clean up Saen Saeb Canal backed by the Cabinet.

The Saen Saeb Canal water treatment project would be an integrative work between numerous related agencies including the BMA, the Transport Ministry and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Office of the Prime Minister spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.

Sansern said Cabinet approved a Transport Ministry proposal to clean up the canal within two years and gave the Interior Ministry responsibility for project monitoring and auditing. It must report back to the Cabinet regularly.

"It was found that the origins of water pollution in Saen Saeb Canal came from domestic and industrial wastewater," he said.

"So [the construction of] a biological water treatment is needed to be done alongside the building of a concrete dike along the canal and setting up a system to irrigate the wastewater at the water treatment plant."

The Drainage and Sewerage Department revealed that Bt6.8 billion has been approved for 11 projects.

Almost half has been earmarked for the Saen Saeb Canal water-purification project, while another Bt1.8 million has been set aside for the dike project.

The rest of the money will be spent on water-purification projects in smaller adjoining canals, a public relations campaign, a water-quality monitoring project and other construction projects.

The projects were originally slated for completion by 2019 but the time scale was shortened to 2017 in line with government policy.

The department also revealed that it would cooperate with district offices to instruct people not to throw litter in the canal and keep the water clean.

There were several projects designed to clean the canal over more than 10 years.

A test of the canal's water quality in September was listed as category five, meaning the water is severely polluted and can only be used for transport.

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Major-cleanup-of-Saen-Saeb-Canal-approved-30272877.html

-- The Nation 2015-11-14

[scorecard]

Over 35+ years that I know of there have been countless projects mooted / completed to clean up this canal, mostly focused on water quality.

How come it's severely polluted again?

I seem to be noticing more and more examples of lack of monitoring, action, punishment, etc., on many many issues which are under the remit of the BMA.

Seems to me the first think that needs a clean up and much better quality is the BMA itself.

[dddave]

Several years ago, a friend riding a canal boat got splashed in the face with canal water. Within days, he developed a severe eye infection that took six months to resolve and ultimately cost him more than half his vision in one eye.

Very scary.

A paramount issue not mentioned in the OP is the sprawl of squatter communities along the canal banks. Household sewage from these communities drains directly into the canal. Most of these communities are more than a century old and politically very difficult to regulate or eliminate and trying to relocate the residents would be a nightmare.

It can be done. Over the last ten years, the SRT was able to clear many of the squatter communities that lined the railroad tracks leading out of the city and relocate the residents but it cost them a bundle.

Two years?? I doubt it.

[SoiBiker]

If they could at least improve the smell a little, that would be nice.

[Doc46]

Why spend so much money to clean the Canal? Get the people Who don't care and made it this way to clean it and look after it better instead of trowing Rubbish everywhere and let all their sewer and grey water enter the canal ,get some Laws into place and police them so the people adhere to the laws.

[tx22cb]

Reminds me of Hercules and the Augean stables ....

[gandalf12]

Why spend so much money to clean the Canal? Get the people Who don't care and made it this way to clean it and look after it better instead of trowing Rubbish everywhere and let all their sewer and grey water enter the canal ,get some Laws into place and police them so the people adhere to the laws.

If the people cared they wouldnt throw litter into the canal. The canals need good maintenance but the people have to be educated as well or it wont be sustainable.

[scorecard]

If they could at least improve the smell a little, that would be nice.

Now stand by for the share price in perfume companies to go up.

[ourmanflint]

I've often wondered if it would be possible just to flush the Saen Sab with cleaner water from upstream, and if it can be done why isn't it been done on a regular basis?