Environment Minister Orders Re-test of Prachinburi Water Sources Amid Pollution Fears
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Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwat Chantakul expressed concern for the health and safety of Prachinburi residents after reports emerged of health impacts from flooding and seepage from industrial waste burial ponds. The Disease Control Department reported that most screened residents showed skin symptoms, prompting the minister to order the Pollution Control Department to urgently inspect environmental quality, particularly water sources used for consumption, and trace the origin and spread of contaminants potentially linked to local pollution sources.
Pollution Control Department Director-General Dr. Surint Warakijthamrong revealed that the Office of Environmental and Pollution Control 7 (Saraburi) was dispatched today (October 28) to inspect canals in Kok Pib and Khu Lamphan subdistricts, Sri Maha Phot district, Prachinburi. They will survey and collect water samples along the canals and water flow routes to communities, as well as raw water samples used for village tap water production where residents were found to have high blood heavy metal levels.
The director-general added that the department will expedite fact-finding using scientific evidence and coordinate with relevant agencies to assess public health impacts. If evidence links contamination to pollution sources, they will coordinate with authorized agencies for strict legal action, in line with the minister's proactive policy to resolve pollution problems and protect the environment and public health.
