The Pollution Control Department (PCD) is about to submit its budget proposal to the Cabinet requiring around 3-4 billion baht in order to continue the Samut Prakarn Wastewater Management Project after the Supreme Court Criminal Division for Political Position Holders has sentenced former Deputy Interior Minister and Chairman of the Puea Pandin party, Wattana Assavahame (วัฒนา อัศวเหม), to ten years in prison.

The PCD Director General, Dr. Supat Wangwongwattana (สุพัฒน์ หวังวงศ์วัฒนา), said the project was 98 percent complete and not left unattended. After consulting with an attorney, Dr. Supat said that whether or not the PCD lost the case, the project is still state property. In this connection, the PCD is advised to set up a committee to deliberate the possibility to revive the project. He said leaving the project unattended will cost one billion baht a year.

According to a survey, local residents would like to turn the project into a marine nursery center while the PCD wishes for the project to be a sewage draining facility to service Bangkok and Samut Prakarn.

Source : National News Bureau, Public Relations Department of Thailand