Five canals in Bangkok with a combined length of 15km are being eyed for an integrated infrastructure development project for tourism and recreational use.
The scheme, to be implemented as a pilot programme, is part of a study carried out by a committee on budget planning involving the maintenance and development of city canals. The findings of the study, which took 180 days to complete, were recently submitted to the Bangkok City Council and executives of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
Of the selected canals, two are on the Phra Nakhon side of Bangkok with a combined length of 3.45km. They are Klong Bang Lamphu and Klong Ong Ang. The other three are Klong Bangkok Noi, Klong Chakphra and Klong Mon on the Thon Buri side with a combined length of 11.5km. They were selected from a total of 1,161 canals in the capital.
Sutthimol Ketsomboon, deputy director of the BMA's Drainage and Sewerage Department, said that while the five canals have potential, a lot of work needs to be done on them for the tourism development scheme. She said the survey found that several stretches of these canals have been encroached on and that households cause pollution by discharging waste and untreated water into the waterways.
She said various agencies will have to be brought in to address these problems. The district offices, for example, should play an active role in enforcing laws on public land encroachment.
Ms Sutthimol, who served as secretary of the committee, said improvements to riverbanks and piers and landscaping work are also required, while communities need to work with the BMA in keeping the canals clean.
She said the survey found that infrastructure for public utilities obstructs navigation of the canals and that the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority and the Metropolitan Electricity Authority will be asked to remove them or make changes. She said a key challenge for the BMA would be how to engage local communities in the tourism development project. A budget of 473 million baht is being sought.