Dump’s neighbors glad to see city hall act

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Sukumvit Soi 3 dumpsite is being cleared out after verbal wars between the locals and the council 2 weeks ago.
Sukumvit Soi 3 dumpsite is being cleared out after verbal wars between the locals and the council 2 weeks ago.

Residents near Pattaya’s Sukhumvit Soi 3 garbage-transfer yard said they were relieved to see the city removing excess rubbish, but said much more needs to be done.

Ruamkha Advance Tech International, hired by Pattaya for the emergency work, began hauling hundreds of tons of rotting waste to a landfill in Rayong May 15.

About 100 tons remained after that day, but the site gets 400-plus tons a day, so Ruamkha’s work hardly is a permanent solution.

Nonetheless, residents of the Kratinglai and Ban Rongkeed communities adjoining the dump said it was good to see some action from city hall after months of inaction.

At a May 9 meeting, they had laid out eight demands, including compensation of 5 million baht to those affected by the pollution and smell. The other demands included removal of excess waste, cleanup and treatment of polluted water flowing from the transfer station, continuous traffic management, quick response to residents’ complaints, and a establishment of a citizen’s committee to monitor use of the dump.

City hall already has rejected demands for compensation and a citizens’ panel, but said it was working on the others.