Sunken sugar barge in the Chao Phraya River

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Sunken sugar barge in the Chao Phraya River

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » So Jun 05, 2011 1:36 pm

Sunken sugar barge to be retrieved in next four days

BANGKOK, June 4 -- A barge carrying 2,400 tonnes of sugar which accidentally sunk in the Chao Phraya River in the central province of Ayutthaya near Bangkok on Tuesday will possibly be retrieved in the next four days, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti on Saturday.

Mr Suwit said he had ordered concerned government agencies yesterday to help solve the problem. For example, he said the Marine Department was told to build dykes to help divert the flow of the river from eroding the banks that had already destroyed a few houses there while the Royal Irrigation Department was instructed to reduce releasing water from the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat province in order to reduce strong current.

It is expected that the barge could be salvaged in the next four days, he said, adding that earth would be filled in later to assist owners whose homes were damaged, while the provincial governor would contact the barge operator to pay compensation and repair damaged homes.

Meanwhile, Dr Paijit Warachit, permanent secretary for Public Health, urged people to avoid eating marine life which died from the polluted water because they had died “abnormally”.



Although the polluted water which is now entering Bangkok and surrounding provinces carries no toxic chemical or diseases, the marine lives died abnormally because of lack of oxygen.

Dr Paijit said if people insist on consuming the fish, they have to fully cooked them.

On public concerns of dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the river following the accident, Wisit Wongwiwat, deputy governor of Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, said measurement was made yesterday evening after the polluted water passed through a processing station in Pathum Thani province and it was found that the DO level had dropped below normal levels. Oxygen later returned the river while experts were assigned to monitor the quality of the water round-the-clock.

By Thursday evening, the DO level was measured at 0.2 milligramme/litre (mg/L) and rose to above 1 mg/L after air was introduced into the water. After about 30 hours, the DO level rose above 2 mg/L and eventually increased to normal levels when the water reached Bang Khen water treatment plant in Bangkok, said Mr Wisit.

He said he believed the polluted water would now move toward the Gulf of Thailand and might impact river and marine life.

Permanent Secretary for Industry Witoon Simachokdee played down worries that sugar consumption in the country could be impacted following the accident, saying that the 2,400 tonnes of sugar aboard the barge is considered “very little” when compared to annual production in the country.

Sugarcane production in Thailand in 2011 is much higher than previously projected, said Mr Witoon. It was earlier estimated that the country could produce 66 million tonnes, but now the production is expected to reach between 94-94.5 million tonnes of which refined sugar production is projected to be around 9.57 million tonnes.

MCOT online news
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

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Re: Sunken sugar barge in the Chao Phraya River

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Mi Jun 08, 2011 2:20 pm

Sunken barge damage at B60m

A sunken sugar barge in the Chao Phraya River has killed about 80 tonnes of fish and cost more than 60 million baht of damage, Department of Fisheries director-general Somying Piumsombun said on Wednesday.

The barge, carrying 2,400 tonnes of brown sugar sunk on the bank of the Chao Phraya River after hitting a bridge pillar in Ayutthaya province on May 31.

Mrs Somying said her department is evaluating the environmental damage before taking legal action against the owner of the barge, Alpha Marine Supply Co. The assessment should be completed next week.

The department will release 50 million marine animals into the river between June and July.

Bild
A backhoe was used to drive pine posts into the Chao Phraya River to protect a 20m stretch of riverbank from further damage from the flow of the river diverted when a barge carrying 2,400 tonnes of sugar sank.
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

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Re: Sunken sugar barge in the Chao Phraya River

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » So Jun 12, 2011 4:43 pm

Sunken surgar barge salvaged

The sugar barge that sank into the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya province on May 31 was successfully salvaged on Sunday after 12 days in the water.

The sunken barge was lifted to the surface of the water with pontoons by crewmen from the navy.

The barge was then hauled by six boats about 500m to another spot where it was successfully salvaged.

The operation was watched by cheering crowds on both sides of the river.

The barge, BM 6, of Alpha Marine Supply Co, carrying 2,400 tonnes of sugar accidentally hit a pillar of a bridge and sank into the Chao Phraya River in tambon Phu Khao Thong of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district on May 31.

The dissolved sugar caused heavy pollution to the river water, killing a large quantity of aquatic animals.

The sunken boat blocked the waterway, causing the water currents to erode a river bank and damage four or five riverside homes.

Bangkok Post
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

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Re: Sunken sugar barge in the Chao Phraya River

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Di Jun 14, 2011 8:54 pm

Assistance for sugar barge victims

The cabinet on Tuesday approved a fund of 3.6 million baht, about 60 per cent of the actual damage of around 6 million baht, for people who were affected by the sugar barge that sank in the Chao Phraya River on May 31 in Ayutthaya province, acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said.

The 2,400 tonnes of sugar being carried by the barge dissolved in the river. The pollution affected 30 owners of 119 fish-raising baskets down river, killing their fish and causing losses estimated at 6 million baht. .

Mr Panitan said the financial assistance will be allocated to people in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani provinces. The damage was assessed by officials of the two provinces.

The sunken vessel also diverted the flow of the river, eroding the river bank and damaging five homes.

The owners of the damaged homes have received some assistance from the Miracle of Life Foundation and provincial Red Cross offices, he said.

The cabinet asked authorities to assess the actual damage and hold talks with the company which inflicted the damage to get the homes rebuilt.

The Marine Deparrtment reported that an embankment will be built to prevent further erosion by water currents. The construction is expected to be completed in four months with a budget of 5 million baht.

The department will also improve the waterway traffic in the area.

On complaints from people who make their living from fishing that the accident affected their income because the pollution wiped out a lot of river life, the cabinet instructed the Fisheries Department to release 50 million fish fry and young shrimps into the river starting on June 26.

Bangkok Post
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974


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