The Nation
April 9, 2002

A group of villagers yesterday called on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to suspend the construction of a wastewater treatment plant, alleging it is riddled with corruption.

Chalao Timthong, a leading opponent of the project, said the plan should be suspended while the corruption allegations were investigated.

But Chalao said he doubted that Thaksin would act to stop the project because some members in his coliation, including the Chat Thai and Chat Pattana parties, had vested interests in the project.

The plant is being constructed on a 1,900-rai plot of land straddling the Klong Dan and Song Klong subdistricts in Samut Prakarn and funded by a Bt23-billion loan from eh Asian Development Bank.

Chalao said the project would affect some 60,000 residents of the two subdistricts who depend on fishing for their livelihoods, which would be destroyed by contaminated water being released from the plant into the Gulf of Thailand.

He said only 80 per cent of project, which was supposed to be completed by February 20, had been built and the contractor was suing the Pollution Control Department, the owner of the project, for Bt6.8 billion compensation.

Chalao said the contractor clamed that protests by locals and works inspections by the department had caused the delay although in fact it was the contractor who should be fined for construction delays.