Activists have rejected the idea of turning the office and housing project for judicial officials at the foot of Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai into learning centres, saying the structures would still be detrimental to the native environment and mountain water flows.
Teerasak: Buildings cursed
The idea was floated on Tuesday by army chief Chalermchai Sitthisad, who questioned if money would not be wasted if the project's 45 houses at a cost of more than 200 million baht had to be razed.
He said the property should be turned into an area that people in Chiang Mai can benefit from.
Responding to the idea, Teerasak Roopsuwan, coordinator of a network for Doi Suthep reforestation, said Chiang Mai people do not want any buildings or structures in the forest area.
No one would dare to use the facility if it were to serve as a learning centre because a curse has been put on the property, he said.
The project would disturb the local ecosystem and efforts must be made to restore the forest land, the activist said.
In the rainy season, rain would bring mud and soil from the site to Mae Jok reservoir, which would contaminate the water resource and potentially harm Chiang Mai locals, he said.
He noted water flows from the mountains would also change direction.
If people are still allowed to use the property, this is still regarded as deforestation, he said.
Mr Teerasak said that when local people encroach on forest land, their installations are ordered to be demolished right away. He said the practice should also be applied to state agencies that do the same.
If people can capitalise on the land in this way it would negatively affect the environment, wildlife and water flows, he said.
"If the prime minister or his deputies were to come here to survey the area before they make a decision, then they would get a clearer picture of what the forest land is," Mr Teerasak said.
He said his network has been trying to share information with authorities that the houses are located in the forest and that they should not have been built in the area.
According to Mr Teerasak, Third Army Region commander Wichak Siribansop has set up a committee of locals and state officials to survey the project's site and its surrounding areas to come up with a solution.
The solution is required to be forwarded to the commander on April 19.
The committee's members on Wednesday surveyed surrounding areas of the project. The panel is in the process of contacting the Region 5 Court of Appeal Office, which owns the project, to get permission to survey the project's site.
If the request for the inspection is turned down, the team will deploy drones to survey and film the site instead and the information will be used by the committee to draw forest borderlines, Mr Teerasak said.
According to Mr Teerasak, three forest borderlines have been proposed.
Chatchawal Tongdeelert, a network member who joined the committee, said the panel would take into account the ecosystem, environment, water flows, forest and slopes as well as economic and cultural impacts as part of a solution.
The Region 5 Court of Appeal Office insisted earlier the project is in compliance with the law.
The site is located on Treasury Department land in tambon Don Kaew and is clearly not part of the national park, the court said.