Songkhla: The Pollution Control Department (PCD) is mobilizing forces to manage garbage and wastewater problems in Songkhla Province after facing severe flooding in 10 districts. Mr. Surin Worakithamrong, Director-General of the PCD, highlighted the department's commitment to addressing the environmental challenges following the floods.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, has directed agencies under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNE) to urgently assist the disaster-affected areas. This assistance includes preparing bio-fermented water to remediate foul-smelling wastewater once the floodwaters recede, coordinating the search for areas to accommodate flood-caused waste, and inspecting damage to waste disposal and wastewater treatment systems to provide academic advice on rehabilitation.
Songkhla Province has been significantly impacted, with 10 districts affected by the flooding: Mueang Songkhla, Bang Klam, Kuan Niang, Khlong Hoi Khong, Na Mom, Hat Yai, Rattaphum, Chana, Ranot, and Singhanakhon. These floods have resulted in a substantial amount of waste from flooded homes, including furniture, electrical appliances, construction debris, and general waste.
An inspection of four currently operating waste disposal sites in Songkhla Province-Songkhla City Municipality, Ban Phru Municipality, Sadao Municipality, and Southern V Purity Co., Ltd.-revealed that they still have the capacity to handle a total of over 25,000 tons of waste. Additionally, five to ten rai of land has been prepared for waste storage, allowing for proper sorting and disposal.
The Pollution Control Department (PCD) plans to coordinate with Songkhla Province and local administrative organizations to establish additional temporary waste collection points near communities. This effort aims to enable residents to quickly remove waste from their homes. Furthermore, the department will work with the private sector to assist in sorting and reducing waste, as well as utilizing it for purposes such as producing waste-to-energy fuel (RDF) to send to a cement plant in Thung Song, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, or generating energy at a waste-to-energy power plant in Krabi Province.
Mr. Surin confirmed the PCD's full commitment to supporting collaboration with all agencies to expedite the restoration of environmental quality and the well-being of Songkhla Province's residents, aiming to return the community to normalcy as swiftly as possible.