Bangkok Post
July 13, 2001

ADB said its board of directors had authorised an independent inspection following complaints alleging that the ADB failed to comply with its own policies, and that the oversight could harm Klong Dan residents.

Board asks if ADB fell down on the job

The 3.3-billion-baht wastewater treatment project in Klong Dan, Samut Prakan, will be inspected by an independent team from the Asian Development Bank, the project funder. The bank said its board of directors had authorised an independent inspection following a complaint from three residents including the Klong Dan mayor, alleging that the ADB failed to comply with its own policies, and that the oversight could harm Klong Dan residents. The Manila-based regional bank said the inspection of the Samut Prakan wastewater management project by a panel of “outside experts” was the first to be authorised by its board. But it said in a statement: “The board’s authorisation of an inspection does not imply any judgment that the alleged failure of ADB to comply with its own procedures has, or has not been, established.”Klong Dan protest leaders welcomed the decision. “Our hard work bore fruit at last. I strongly believe the inspection would find the project violating the bank’s loan policy,” said Dawan Chantarahassadi. The project violated the bank’s policy because it had failed to conduct an environmental impact assessment, ignored public input, and lacked transparency and disclosure of information to the public, she said. The bank’s response, she said, was tantamount to a “slap in the face” for the government which had turned a blind eye to irregularities. Ms Dawan went to the ADB’s annual conference in Hawaii in May to resubmit a request for an inspection after an earlier independent review by “experts of international repute” concluded the project design was “sound and will significantly reduce wastewater pollution in the upper Gulf of Thailand”. The review team was chosen by the bank. But this time Klong Dan villagers will have a hand in selecting three inspection team members from a list of 40 experts. The experts were selected by civic groups worldwide. Luntharima Longcharoen, of Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance, said a network of NGOs worldwide would supply background information on the experts to help villagers in their choice. Yuwaree In-na, head of the Pollution Control Department’s water quality management section, who oversees the project, lauded ADB’s decision. The bank was responding to local concerns. She was unperturbed by the inspection, an “internal bank process.”