UPDATE: Chief in Phuket says black water is “not from businesses”

THE LATEST

After a popular Facebook page claimed this week that dirty black water at a Phuket beach is being caused by nearby businesses, an official insists it is not. The page, titled Monsoon Garbage Thailand, posted a damning video of the water flowing into the ocean at Kamala Beach.

But Kamala Tambon Administrative Organisation Chief Jutha Dumlak told The Phuket Express that the black wastewater was left over in a “sand trap pool” in water drainage systems from the dry season. He said now that the rainy season is beginning, rain has started to wash out the leftover waste water into the ocean.

“I have confirmed this time wastewater is not from businesses dumping garbage or waste as many mentioned or speculated on in social media.”

Jutha acknowledged, however, that wastewater is an issue that has impacted the local economy in the wake of Thailand’s tourism recovery. He claimed that local authorities cannot afford the budget to build a good wastewater treatment system. The Kamala Tambon Administrative Organisation now reportedly plans to request more expansive budgets for the wastewater system.

Jutha stressed that nearby businesses have “cooperated well to fix their problems” when the organisation has spotted problems with their wastewater treatment.

ORIGINAL STORY

A popular Facebook page has posted a video and photos this week of black, dirty water flowing into Phuket’s Kamala Beach on the island’s west coast. The page, titled Monsoon Garbage Thailand, claims that the dirty black water was released from nearby businesses without any treatment.

The Phuket Express reports that local business owners and government representatives have not yet responded to Monsoon Garbage’s claim. The photos and video, however, have gotten some shares, along with angry reactions and comments.

The dirty water has been flowing along that klong for decades. The development of hotels and clubs along the same foreshore over the past decade has just exacerbated the problem with residents constantly complaining about the smell and bad visuals of the filthy stream of water openly flowing onto the beach.

Read this editorial on the matter from 2017 HERE.

Monsoon Garbage tagged the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varuvat Silpaarcha in the post, saying there is dark waste water released into Kamala Beach, and tourists are there. The page says they want any relevant departments to find out who is responsible, and why. The page tags various Thai media outlets in the post, asking them to help spread the post.

This news comes after another incident of damage to Kamala’s environment earlier this month. After Thai media reported construction tools and trucks digging soil on a hill in Kamala, officials banned any further excavation on the site. Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul said that no government office had issued a building permit for any form of construction.

Thai media outlet Isra News reported that the site was 90 metres above sea level, and therefore any construction was illegal. Siwat said that officials were also investigating the land-use document presented to claim the land.

SOURCE: The Phuket Express | The Phuket Express