Island locals seek govt support
The Governor is expected to preside over upcoming annual Earth Day events on Racha Yai island after a group of local business operators and residents paid a visit to Phuket Provincial Hall this week.
Wednesday 13 April 2011, 05:01AM
The Governor is expected to preside over upcoming annual Earth Day events on Racha Yai island after a group of local business operators and residents paid a visit to Phuket Provincial Hall this week.
Governor Tri Augkaradacha met the group on Monday, who were seeking participation from the government in holding the event on April 22.
Their leader Krittaya Sangiamkul, who ran Ban Raya Resort and Spa on Racha Yai island for many years, said Earth Day activities on the island had been organised annually since 1992 by the group of hotel and tour operators and local environmental conservationists.
Between 200-300 people take part every year in environmentally-focused activities such as beach cleanups, underwater dive cleanups and tree planting.
Mrs Krittaya said that despite the environmental degradation that happened along much of the Andaman coast, Racha Yai remained pristine both on land and underwater due to the commitment of the island’s residents to protect it.
But she said Earth Day activities now had an even greater role to play as tourism to the island continued to rise.
“The island has been protected nicely due to the commitment between locals and business, however we would like to update this commitment to be more intensive in order to help prevent the destruction of the island, and an integral part of that is receiving the support of the government for future conservation projects.”
