Polluted water flows down to Bangkok

Locals ignore health warnings, eat dead fish

SUNTHORN PONGPAO

Residents in Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Bangkok are being warned against using water from the Chao Phraya river for consumption as contaminated water from Ang Thong continued to flow downstream yesterday. According to the Royal Irrigation Department, dissolved oxygen levels in river water in Ang Thong where massive fish deaths were first detected on Sunday night has returned to normal, measuring above three milligrammes per litre.

Water quality in Ayutthaya's Bang Pa-in district and Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district however, fluctuated between 0.5-2.9mg per litre yesterday.

Fish farmers in Ang Thong and Ayutthaya went into a panic as they hurriedly tried to rescue their fish as polluted water entered major canals in the area.

However, some fearless locals defied warnings from the Public Health Ministry, and eagerly swept up the dead fish floating in the river to eat.

The ministry said initial lab tests found no dangerous chemical residues in the dead fish, but as a precaution, told villagers to refrain from eating anything that had died in the polluted river.
Sumalee Muangsri, 35, was among a group of villagers catching dead fish in Bang Pa-in district yesterday.

''We're sure they're all safe to eat,'' she said as she hauled up a freshwater stingray.

Ayutthaya governor Cherdphan na Songkhla said the flow of the river had been obstructed by sea water intrusion which meant efforts to push out polluted water to the Gulf of Thailand with water from upstream would be slowed down.

Mr Cherdphan said an initial survey found that the pollution had hit 58 fish farmers, who lost a total of 262 baskets of fish, causing an estimated 10 million baht in damage. He said he had requested seven million baht in emergency funds to help the farmers.

Industrial Works Department director-general Rachada Singalavanija said the mass pollution could have been caused by the capsizing of a boat carrying molasses or riverside factories discharging untreated wastewater into the river.

Mr Rachada said the polluter, if found, would face a 200,000-baht fine. If the pollution was caused by a substandard wastewater-treatment system, the guilty business could also be closed down.

Over 500 local villagers rallied outside a monosodium glutamate factory in Ang Thong's Pa Mok district for the second day yesterday after they found an 800-metre-long pipe leading from the factory to the river.

They accused the factory operator KTMSG Co of discharging contaminated water into the river via the pipeline, causing the massive death of fish and other animals and demanded the factory be closed down.

But factory manager Apichai Noiwong said the pipe is used to pump water from the river to feed the factory's production line, denying any link to the pollution.

The spread of the polluted water has also sparked concerns over tap water safety. But the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority has given assurances that river water in Pathum Thani, which feeds into tap water production for Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan has not been affected by the pollution.

Bangkok Post
Thursday March 15, 2007