18 September 2002

ENVIRONMENT

New planting, canals could revive fortunes

Kultida Samabuddhi

A fish farmer looks at his farm in Thale Sap, Songkhla. Water pollution from factories and households has threatened the livelihood of fishing communities around the lake. _ JETJARAS NA RANONG

From the observation tower in Muang district, the waters of this great lake look healthy.

The reality is more grim. Pollution is slowly killing a lake on which more than one million people depend.

The fish farms and shrimp traps dotting the lake give an idea of how much economic activity it supports.

Successive governments have tried to clean it. On a visit to the area recently, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said his government would have another go.

The 1,046-sq km lake, once famous for its fertile, complex and unique ecosystem, is becoming a huge basin for waste water discharged by factories, communities and prawn farms, mainly in Songkhla.

The Songkhla great lake extends into the provinces of Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla. The lake is divided into four parts: Thale Noi, Thale Luang, Thale Sap, and Thale Sap Songkhla or lower Songkhla lake, where pollution is worst. Praneet Rasami, 44, a tambon Ko Yo fish farmer, said pollution had hurt the livelihood of more than a thousand local people who raise snapper, or pla krapong, in floating baskets.

In July, thousands of fish died, probably from pollution, a repeat of a similar incident in December.

``Factories in Hat Yai discharge waste water at night or during rain, so no one notices. In the morning, we find the lake has turned red and the fish have died,'' said Mr Praneet.

Wallop Kanan, 38, also a fish-farm owner, said the lake would suffer further if mangrove forests were destroyed for real estate development.

``Tambon Ko Yo administration organisation recently encroached on the mangrove. They clear-cut the forest and built an office building,'' he said. ``Without mangrove forest, there would be no aquatic animals, which use the forest as a nursery for their offspring.''

Sayan Intarapak, head of policy and planning at the Songkhla governor's office, said industrialisation and economic growth in Hat Yai was the main cause of environmental degradation in Thale Sap Songkhla.

However, the lake's sickness stemmed not only from waste water but also damage to the mangrove, overfishing and use of destructive fishing gear, such as push nets and drag nets.

``Environmentally unsound practices cause the deaths of marine animals. The 182-sq km lake has also lost depth because of sediment and heavy metals contained in waste water,'' said Mr Sayan.

Degradation of the lake was like a chronic disease, which past governments had failed to remedy.

However, Mr Thaksin vowed to make another effort.

During his visit to Songkhla late last month, the premier said the government has set aside 2,268 million baht for the lake recovery project, which included digging canals to create water flows, releasing aquatic animals and reforesting mangrove.

``Mr Thaksin's plan to revitalise Songkhla lake is likely to be more successful than former PM Chuan Leekpai's because he can manage the budget effectively,'' Mr Sayan said. Mr Chuan paid a number of state agencies to the job, but they were unable to spend the budget properly.

The Songkhla provincial authority would start dredging Thale Sap Songkhla, at the end of this year.

Dredging of waterways to improve water flows was the most urgent measure.

``Water flows would drain waste water to the sea. That would ease pollution in the lake,'' said Mr Sayan.

Dredging might upset fish farm operators and fishermen because the lake would become muddy. They would be asked to stop their activity during dredging.

The provincial authority, said Mr Sayan, would also crack down on factories that discharged untreated waste into the lake and canals. Waste water treatment facilities in Hat Yai and Songkhla municipalities had cut 60% of waste water discharges, but this was not enough.

Reungchai Tansakul, of Prince of Songkhla University's faculty of environmental management, said Mr Thaksin's lake recovery scheme was politically motivated.

``The Songkhla great lake is vital to the livelihood of southern people. More than a million people rely on the lake. So, if Mr Thaksin could bring back an abundant ecosystem, he might become a hero of the South,'' said Mr Reungchai.

An environmental impact assessment was needed into the dredging project because of its potential effect on ecology.

Mr Reungchai said moves to revitalise the lake would be meaningless unless the government revised its plan to turn the southern provinces, particularly Songkhla, into an industrial hub.

``Mr Thaksin's decision to approve the Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline and gas separation plants in Chana district would bring many more dirty factories to the province. These factories will dump more pollution to the lake,'' he said.