Desperate residents along Khlong Prawet Burirom have threatened to take their grievance over a severely polluted canal to the highest levels of government.
A man pulls a dead fish out of the water in Khlong Prawet Burirom which runs through Min Buri and Lat Krabang districts. The polluted canal and its foul odour, allegedly caused by factories dumping waste into the water, have sparked complaints by residents. Somchai Poomlard
Suchin Kummanee, head of the Sangkharacha community in Lat Krabang district along Khlong Prawet Burirom said almost 20,000 residents in 20 communities along the canal have been affected by polluted water and the resulting stench.
Water quality in the canal has deteriorated over the years, Mr Suchin said, blaming factories and housing estates near the community for the problem.
He said the water was turning from grey to black as the problem worsened.
He said affected residents had earlier reported the water pollution, particularly the stench, to the Lat Krabang district office, which insists it is doing its best to handle the problem.
The community head said officials from the district had collected a water sample for lab testing and the results showed the quality was acceptable.
But the large number of dead fish in front of Lan Boon temple contradicted these claims.
"The quality of the water is not conducive for fish to live," he said.
He said the water smell and a plague of mosquitoes had physical and emotional consequences for residents, while the poor water quality has affected the lives of aquatic animals.
Despite water inspections and tests by authorities, no progress had been made, Mr Suchin said.
Affected residents plan to file a separate complaint about the water pollution with Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, urging them to help solve the problems. He didn't give a specific date.
Residents believed the problem of polluted water stems from waste released from nearby factories, Mr Suchin said.
He dismissed claims that residents throw waste from their households into the canal, saying communities had launched a campaign to improve the water quality and avoid discarding garbage into the canal.
Residents took the Bangkok Post to inspect the water quality in the canal that passes through Min Buri and Lat Krabang districts in Min Buri district.
The water in the canal in Min Buri district was found to be clear with no smell.
But the condition of water between Bung Ta Nuay and Sangkharacha community, a distance of about 10km, was found to be black and stagnant with an unpleasant smell.
Lat Krabang district director Sin Nititadakul said a team from the environment and sanitary department was sent to test for levels of dissolved oxygen in the canal on Oct 24 and found it at 0.17mg per litre.
Authorities had diverted polluted water from the canal to solve the problem, Mr Sin said, adding the amount of dissolved oxygen increased to 0.67mg per litre at another inspection on Oct 28.
Mr Sin insists authorities monitor the quality of discharge from factories every month and the results were found to be satisfactory.
The district director said the polluted water could be caused by waste water released from agricultural areas in the district.