Tall trees have been planted
and high nets erected to mitigate the dust invading the school from the
cement factory next door.
Warunya Thongrod
A cement factory adjacent to Pattaya School No. 11 began planting 200
trees, installing nets and changing procedures to offset dust and pollution
that has disrupted classes and forced students to wear face masks in class.
Ekachai Chaitrakulthong, managing director of STC Concrete Products, joined
school Principal Jeerasak Jitsom and Pattaya City Councilman Banjong
Banthoonprayuk June 10 for a planting ceremony held to mark World
Environment Day five days earlier.
The company bought the 38,000 baht in pine trees to act as a barrier between
the plant and school, where students, unhappy with the pollution and the
school’s response to it, went to the media last month to complain.
Students in three buildings, especially those on the
third and fourth floors, have suffered respiratory ailments from dust clouds
that are so thick students must sweep and wipe down classrooms between
periods.
The dust has stoked allergies and students have taken to wearing face masks
in class. Others reported skin irritation or acne flare-ups.
Jeerasak said the school had tried to solve the problem by getting the STC
to water down its property and plant trees and install nets to buffer dust
clouds. Those efforts were unsuccessful until the company was embarrassed in
print.
“After I learned of the problems faced by the teachers and students, the
company did not sit idle,” Ekachai said. “We have worked according to
suggestions from the Public Health and Environment Department to solve the
pollution problem.”
In addition to planting trees, the company will install nets above the pines
to shield the school’s top floor from dust clouds, Ekachai said. He also
instructed workers to water down the facility more frequently and restrict
cleanup operations, which kick up dust, to after-school hours.
