PHUKET: Residents and interest groups told Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha today that the small, beautiful island of Maprao, off Phuket's east coast, had been seeking a mains electricity supply ''for 12 governors''.
At Provincial Hall in Phuket City, Phukwetwan was also told that some residents suffered skin rashes and irritation because water for washing was filtered through buried garbage.
Maprao is home to traditional Muslim villagers and also to the Village, Coconut Island, one of Phuket's showcase property developments, where the monthly bill for power runs to five million baht, the meeting heard.
In the June Village News, development owner Chris Gordon wrote: ''We were promised mainland power over two years ago and it still has not arrived, but we are now confident that by the end of this year it will be on its way.''
Today it was Maprao village chief Yunhob Pethdee who told Governor Tri that the traditional owners had been seeking to have power connected for 12 governors so far.
He said there were 800 people living in homes on Koh Maprao, making up 180 families. Fuel to run a generator cost each family 120 baht a day, he said.
Having an underground cable supply connected to the island from Phuket would cost 46 million baht, he had been told.
The doctor at the community island clinic, Dr Nirutt Ruengdeth, told Phuketwan after the meeting that some residents suffered respiratory complaints because they breathed in the fumes from mosquito repellants.
They could not afford the fuel to supply generators to electric fans that would blow the fumes away, he said.
Even more of a health issue was buried garbage, he said. Groundwater that the villagers used to wash in permeated through the garbage first, he said.
Governor Tri told the deputation of seven that he would try to alert the national government to the importance of giving the island electricity.
At Provincial Hall in Phuket City, Phukwetwan was also told that some residents suffered skin rashes and irritation because water for washing was filtered through buried garbage.
Maprao is home to traditional Muslim villagers and also to the Village, Coconut Island, one of Phuket's showcase property developments, where the monthly bill for power runs to five million baht, the meeting heard.
In the June Village News, development owner Chris Gordon wrote: ''We were promised mainland power over two years ago and it still has not arrived, but we are now confident that by the end of this year it will be on its way.''
Today it was Maprao village chief Yunhob Pethdee who told Governor Tri that the traditional owners had been seeking to have power connected for 12 governors so far.
He said there were 800 people living in homes on Koh Maprao, making up 180 families. Fuel to run a generator cost each family 120 baht a day, he said.
Having an underground cable supply connected to the island from Phuket would cost 46 million baht, he had been told.
The doctor at the community island clinic, Dr Nirutt Ruengdeth, told Phuketwan after the meeting that some residents suffered respiratory complaints because they breathed in the fumes from mosquito repellants.
They could not afford the fuel to supply generators to electric fans that would blow the fumes away, he said.
Even more of a health issue was buried garbage, he said. Groundwater that the villagers used to wash in permeated through the garbage first, he said.
Governor Tri told the deputation of seven that he would try to alert the national government to the importance of giving the island electricity.
46 million for 180 families is a lot of money, are they supposed to pay other than the few thousand a meter cost or what is the plan there ? A general thing that I have noticed is that when there seem to be a local problem it is right away being transferred to the central government ....ie encroachment of land, corruption, repair of hill road to Patong and now this power cable just to mention a few of the latest ones, this leads to the question what does the local government do and is it necessary at all ?
Posted by Bjarne on June 12, 2012 14:07