Some Pictures from the Walk Sadao Reservoir is being dug by the Royal Irrigation Department. Since work began, local water tables have dropped severely and rubber plantings are in bad shape. The people here have a simple question:
Will we get to use any of this water?
Or will it all go to the people & factories of Had Yai? They've been told the water is for Sadao District. Why, then, is there a pipe leading from the reservoir underground toward Had Yai town? Those of us familiar with the Royal Irrigation Department's record for transparency are wondering how to help the people here to get a straight answer.
One of the main tributaries of Klong Utapao passes through this area. A couple years ago, the Royal Irrigation Department proposed dredging this klong, purportedly for the benefit of local people. Along some sections of the klong local residents objected and did not allow any dredging. Since the benefits of dredging have become clear:
once clear waters are muddy
fish & shrimp have disappeared
banks have eroded
the deeper channels drain water off the land more quickly, lowering the water table & creating problems with local crops planted before the dredging
Residents near the dredged areas are asking how the damage can be repaired.
Actually, such dredging is common in rural Siam. Or should we say "infamous"?! Pushed on local communities for dubious reasons, natural streams, rivers, ponds, and swamps are improved. In most case the results listed above occur. So who such dredging benefit?
Local officials and politicians who control the budgets and often receive kickbacks for financing such "work."
Local contractors who live off such government subsidies and lack of oversight.
A few people, not always local, who are hired to do the work.
The klong is beginning to widen here as we get close to Had Yai, and thechannel runs quite deep. As the banks of the Klong have been deteriorating, the villagers intended to planting trees with us to prevent further erosion of the banks. However, for reasons unknown to us, the tree planting was cancelled. Instead, the walkers broke into a number of interest group. My group discussed the IMF & what it is doing in Siam. Many people were shocked at how this undemocratic institution has usurped Thai sovereignty & forced policies that put a heavy burden on the poor while continuing to serve the interests of international capital.
In the evening, the Wat's young Abbot and many of its supporters gathered for a talk with us. Their over-riding concern was pollution of the Klong from factories upstream. Specifically, two rubber glove factors on Klong Ngae, a tributary of Klong Utapao, have been dumping sewage into the Klongs indiscriminately. This enders the water on usable for agriculture, bathing, and other uses. In the hot season, the burden is particularly heavy. The local water system is unable to meet demand during this time of the year and so the villagers must often go without water. In the old days, the depended on the Klong. Now they cannot.
We were asked many questions about how to tackle this issue. We shared what knowledge we could and put them in contact with local resources, such as the Environmental Management Faculty of Prince of Songkhla University. Further, we passed on ssome of our nuts & bolts experiences in dealing with the powers that be. It turns out that the owner of the factories is sitting Minister in the current government. As is often the case, he seems to use his position and power to break the law with impunity rather than writing and implementing laws for the common good.
One of the kids went swimming in the Klong that evening. He was kept awake all night by itching.