BANGKOK – The government and the Royal Irrigation Department were urged to solve the problem of saltwater intrusion which could cause renal failure among general people.
The demand came from Veerakorn Khamprakob, head of a House sub-committee on the management of Chao Phraya, Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan river basins.
He said he had warned last year that Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan would face saltwater intrusion in March this year but the problem already happened on Jan 31 as the density of salt measured 2.2 grams per liter of water, twice as much as the safe threshold.
“If the level exceeds 0.5 gram per liter, it becomes brackish water. That of over 1 gram per liter makes saltwater. This must be solved as soon as possible.
Normally, 3.5 billion cubic meters of freshwater were used annually to force saltwater away. But that would be too much for this year of drought.
The government should install moveable weirs because the Chao Phraya River should lose 4 billion cubic meters of freshwater a year from now on. I would like the Royal Irrigation Department and the government to quickly solve the problem. Otherwise, people will risk renal failure,” Mr Veerakorn said. (TNA)
