BANGKOK, June 19 – The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of Bt4.3 billion to implement a five-year plan to resolve the ongoing environmental problems associated with the country’s largest industrial estate, Map Ta Phut, in the eastern seaboard, Deputy Government Spokesman Chalitrat Chandrubeksa said today.
An allocation of Bt4.34 billion will be spent on 92 projects to address the problems related to the industrial zone as proposed by the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB).
The 2012-2016 plan covers problems concerning pollution, environment, economy, basic infrastructure and management.
Most of the budget, some Bt1.7 billion, will be allocated to address pollution problems in 41 projects and another Bt1.5 billion will be dedicated for 14 projects to upgrade basic infrastructure.
Provinces with the greatest density of factories, especially Rayong and Ayutthaya, were advised to plans development of green areas and to upgrade industries to an environmentally-friendly status, Mr Chalitrat said.
The interior ministry was assigned to prepare the town plan layouts and zone the Map Ta Phut areas to separate ‘green’, residential and industrial areas, he said.
