That part of the klong was the subject of a clean-up drive in May last year after residents complained of the suffocating stench.
The banks of the klong were cleaned to assist water flow, and the Governor led others in flinging balls of effective microbes into the klong and spraying the water with Enzyme Ionic Plasma to combat the reek. It worked. For a while.
But yesterday (February 18), in answer to a rising chorus of complaints, and a banner strung across the klong exclaiming “Filthy Water”, the Governor, accompanied by Paiboon Upatising, President of the Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor); Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansuppapana; Rassada Mayor Phudit Raksarat and others, went looking for the source of the stench.
One source, they discovered, was the Kanom Jeen noodle factory on Soi Panieng, about three kilometres away, which has been dumping untreated wastewater into a waterway that connects to Klong Bang Yai.
After finishing his investigation, Gov Maitri said, “I have ordered the relevant officers to start work urgently on solving this.”
First, he said, the noodle factory must build an overflow dam to stop untreated wastewater going into the canal.
He also ordered the establishment of five committees, each comprising three local people, one from Rassada Municipality and one from the local office of the Industry Ministry. These committees would monitor wastewater disposal in the area and carry out unannounced spot checks.
Mr Paiboon said the OrBorJor would pay for dredging Klong Bang Yai behind the Butterfly and Insect Garden to clear out weeds and waste, to allow the water to flow more smoothly.
A spokesperson for the Kanom Jeen factory said, “We are ready to follow the advice of the Governor in building an overflow dam. We are also happy to allow government officers to carry out inspections at any time.”