May not sanitize Bangkok waters, but hopes persist
The Royal Thai Navy and three Chonburi groups have joined forces to produce a million microorganism balls Bangkok residents can use to try and disinfect at least a bit of the putrid flood water now stagnating in the capital.
Sattahip’s Naval Recruit Training Center, Thammasart University’s Chonburi Province campus, the Chonburi Technology and Agriculture College and the Agricultural Training and Development Center at Yansangwararam Temple began work Nov. 8 to create a million balls shaped with clay, rice husks, sand and micro-organisms that allegedly can disinfect up to five cubic meters of water for a month.
A million microorganism balls are being produced in hopes that they will help at least a little in combating the putrid waters flooding Bangkok.
With an estimated 100 million cu. meters of water pouring into Bangkok daily, the balls may end up providing more peace of mind than actual results, however.
World Health Organization officials have been being widely quoted as saying the “good bacteria” balls will be ineffective in the face of such a large quantity of “bad bacteria.” Tests during both the 2004 Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in the United States showed the balls never lived up to their hype. More critical media reports have called the bacteria mud balls a “flood hoax” meant to distract Bangkokians from their plight.
Komsan Khemphet, dean of the Chonburi Agriculture and Technology College, noted that improper use of the “effective microorganism” balls can actually lead to more contamination. But with cooperation of the navy and other agencies, balls can be properly produced and deployed to clean water no deeper than 1.5 meters.
Still, even a bit of relief would be welcome for Bangkok denizens, whose streets have become a floating landfill. Plastic bags overflowing with waste and rotten food cling to boats, cars, motorbikes and people as they slowly snake through inundated roadways. Raw sewage and animal carcasses can be seen bobbing in waters ripe for disease.
Navy officials made no promises on the effectiveness of the balls, but called the effort is a way for Thais to join together to work for common good and that the EM balls cost virtually nothing to produce.
