The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has suspended a project to lay a concrete road inside the Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province following a dispute. All parties will meet to find a solution on Nov 5, said department deputy spokesman Komkrit Sethabuppha on Sunday.
Mr Komkrit, chief of the public relations office, was responding on the department's Facebook page to concerns raised by Phetchaburi residents and environmentalists over possible environmental damage to the national park from the 67-million-baht project, saying that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study has not been conducted.
He said the project is intended only to improve the surface of an existing road for safety reasons, not the construction of a new road.
"Under the project, the old asphalt road will be made into a concrete road, complete with drain pipes. It will be an improvement of the road surface to facilitate traffic and for the safety of road users," he added.
However, in responding to a call made by the residents and environmentalists, the department has ordered the suspension of the project pending a joint meeting of all concerned on Nov 5 to find a solution.
To the concern that the delivery of construction materials may disturb wildlife in the park, Mr Komkrit said that the road has been regularly used by tourists without affecting the animals, so he believed the delivery would not cause any disturbance either.