Rotten lake causes a stink in Nong Plalai

Something is rotten in Nong Plalai’s SP4 Village and residents say it’s a pond that has been turned into a sewer.

Denizens complained that the natural lake behind their development had become filled with wastewater, sending nauseating odors over the area for the past two years.

About half the village is impacted by the pond that smells like a toilet.

Mayor Pinno Homklan and Maj. Suwit Laklang, representative from the National Council for Peace and Order’s Banglamung division, took a team of health workers to the lake Dec. 15.

Employees sprayed 400 liters of disinfecting spray into the rotting pond and around the surrounding area to combat the smell and improve the water quality. They returned two days later with another 500 liters.

Nong Plalai authorities also dropped two tons of water lilies and other plants into the lake to help clear the water. Lilies absorb wastewater through roots and will clean the water naturally in a few days.

Resident Thanaporn Puang­chan told reporters that the lake was just a natural water source that has been around for several years. It’s wide and long and people were even fishing in it previously. But during the past two years nobody wanted to get near it.

Capt. Toh-in Inthong, a navy officer who moved into the village three months ago, said he had no idea the lake behind his house was such a problem before he bought his home.

Residents blame a local plastic recycling plant for polluting the lake, which is more red, green and brown than blue these days.

The Sing Who Tai factory recycles plastic and authorities met with its owners, but they did not allow reporters to attend.

Pinno and local officials urged residents to file a formal complaint with the government.

The meeting with plant owners went on for more than an hour, but management continued to deny the smell was their fault. Owners denied releasing any pollution.

Officials plan to call the Provincial Industrial Association and Chonburi Environment Department to investigate. Water quality tests would take about two weeks, they said.