Royal Phuket Marina dredging wins Governor’s Office support

PHUKET: Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima and the provincial committee looking into whether Royal Phuket Marina (RPM) should be allowed to dredge Klong Koh Kaew gave its support in principle for the project on May 21.

The plan is to dredge the klong the three kilometers from the mouth of the watercourse to the marina. The project aims to dredge the klong to a depth of two meters to make access easier and safer for yachts entering and leaving RPM.

The committee last convened on September 12 last year. At that meeting, the committee asked a host of government agencies, including the Phuket Fisheries Office, the Koh Kaew Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), the Provincial Lands Office, the Mangrove Resources Development Station 23 (Phuket) and the Phuket Marine Biological Center, for their opinions on whether the klong should be dredged.

The decision follows reports filed by those agencies on October 12 confirming that the section of the klong to be dredged is not connected to mangrove land.

However, it is still early days for the project. Ongart Chanachanmongkol, chief of the Phuket Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office, said that RPM must now hire a consultant to draw up plans for dredging the klong that include environmental considerations to reduce environmental impact on the surrounding mangroves and the cockle shells found growing in the klong.

The project will also need approval from the Marine Office with regard to a dumping location for sediment dredged from the klong. This is required before the committee will review the project again, K. Ongart said.