PHUKET: Governor Tri Augkaradacha has asked for urgent help from experts to determine the status of Phuket's water table, a meeting of regional environmental administrators was told today.
The huge number of requests for wells to be drilled could reduce the level of the natural water beneath Phuket, said Phuket's Director of the Environment, Sumet Ackasorn.
He said there were 105 legal wells on Phuket but 800 applications waiting to be processed.
Applications for wells were supposed to be processed within two days, Khun Sumet said. But this was not possible on Phuket with just two people to handle applications.
He knew of two cases where people on Phuket had been prosecuted for drilling illegal wells. Phuket needed to control the number of wells, but there was no accurate knowledge about whether or not the natural water table could sustain many more wells without the water table being affected.
Khun Sumet said that he had raised the issue with Phuket's Governor Tri and Governor Tri had written a letter to Bangkok officials seeking the help of experts to determine the state of Phuket's water table.
Khun Sumet was meeting today in Phuket City with Natural Resources and Environment Director Prawim Woottisia from Bangkok and the heads of the department from other Andaman provinces.
The huge number of requests for wells to be drilled could reduce the level of the natural water beneath Phuket, said Phuket's Director of the Environment, Sumet Ackasorn.
He said there were 105 legal wells on Phuket but 800 applications waiting to be processed.
Applications for wells were supposed to be processed within two days, Khun Sumet said. But this was not possible on Phuket with just two people to handle applications.
He knew of two cases where people on Phuket had been prosecuted for drilling illegal wells. Phuket needed to control the number of wells, but there was no accurate knowledge about whether or not the natural water table could sustain many more wells without the water table being affected.
Khun Sumet said that he had raised the issue with Phuket's Governor Tri and Governor Tri had written a letter to Bangkok officials seeking the help of experts to determine the state of Phuket's water table.
Khun Sumet was meeting today in Phuket City with Natural Resources and Environment Director Prawim Woottisia from Bangkok and the heads of the department from other Andaman provinces.
Hard to believe only 105 legal wells on Phuket. I'm sure many are drilled w/o the required permits.
Posted by GiantFan on August 24, 2011 16:23