Thailand 's Bang Pakong Dam Proving Disastrous and an Ecological Horror by Phairath Khampha 16 April 2000 Ecological horror as reservoir stinks Thailand's Bang Pakong Dam-a 1.9 billion baht (1 US Dollar = 38.06 Thai Baht) project built by Thailand's Royal Irrigation Department to conserve fresh water and block sea water from entering Bang Pakong river in Chachoengsao province-has failed to deliver on its promises, and is instead polluting the river. Saksit Tridech, secretary-general of the Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (OEPP), revealed that since the Bang Pakong Dam started operation in January 2000, the natural flow of the river had been disrupted and water quality along the river's banks deteriorated tremendously. OEPP officials visited the dam during the first week of April and found that seven kilometres of river upstream of the dam was heavily polluted. The water there had become murky and malodorous. "The water above the dam is literally like pigs' excrement. This dam was not required to submit an environmental impact assessment [EIA] because of its small size. But it has become clear the dam structure is the cause of foul water and sea water flooding," Mr Saksit said. Corrupt government officials involved with the feasibility studies, designs and construction of dams in Thailand often conspire to avoid carrying out environmental impact assessments so that the project will definitely go ahead and they can make fantastic amounts of money on the various corrupt machinations they dream up during the process of letting out design and construction contracts. Most such projects in Thailand seem to end up creating more problems than they solve and in the end are complete economic disasters because of the costs involved, again dealt with by venal means, to solve the problems created are very, very expensive. The dam project was approved by the government in December 1990, and was intended to hold 30 million cubic metres of fresh water for domestic consumption. Construction began in October 1996 and was completed in early 2000. The dam started impounding water from January 6, and in March villagers filed complaints about water pollution. The water in Bang Pakong river is mixed, with fresh water flowing in from upstream, while downstream the water is saline due to the presence of sea water. When the dam closed its floodgates to conserve water, the inflow of fresh water above the dam was blocked and the water immediately became stagnant. This collection became contaminated by wastes dumped into the river from pig farms, run-off water from farms using chemical fertilisers and garbage from households along the river. Why this was not forseen, particularly in the Thai cultural context, cannot be answered by anyone responsible for the project. It is almost as if the officials and engineers who designed the dam had no idea of the actual conditions in the field. Meanwhile, the land below the dam's structure has been flooded by sea water. The waterway in front of Wat Sodhorn Wararam, or Wat Luang Por Sodhorn, has became filled with plankton due to the stagnant sea water. The river's banks below the dam were eroded by sea water that was cut off by a 900 m wall of the dam. The OEPP now had to begin working closely with the Irrigation Department to assess the impact of the Bang Pakong dam, which ceased operations temporarily, and the river was allowed to continue its natural flow. The OEPP said it would finish its EIA study by the end of 2001, and the dam would not be operated until then. This is a bit like closing the barn door after the horse has run out, but it is typical Thai behaviour. The first task in solving the upstream pollution problem would focus on pig farms, which have mushroomed along the river. Owners of farms having over 500 pigs are legally required to have a waste water treatment system, but they pay corrupt officials responsible for controlling and inspection to look the other way. This, too, is classic Thai behaviour. Bang Pakong dam is one of 12 dams and reservoirs under an Irrigation Department project to manage water in the Bang Pakong river to supply provinces in the eastern region. The OEPP now fears the 11 other projects could lead to further environmental damage and ecological disruption, as most of these projects had not been required to submit EIA studies. Thus one hopes the Thais have learned their lesson and will carry out the EIA studies. Corrupt officials who had hoped to construct the other 11 projects and make a fortune from their corrupt activities associated with the construction of these projects will do everything they can to ensure the EIA studies do not go ahead so that construction of the projects would not be threatened. JICA's review of dam blueprints sought The Royal Irrigation Department asked the Japan International Development Agency (JICA) to review the Bang Pakong dam's blueprints in order to address environmental problems stemming from the dam design. JICA was notified of possible design flaws in the 1.9-billion-baht dam project a department source said on April 18. Local people claimed the dam, designed by JICA in 1991, caused pollution in the river. Seawater blocked by the dam from flowing further upstream has also caused soil erosion along the river banks, they said. Their complaints were confirmed by the Office of Environmental Policy and Planning, under the Science Ministry.