On 9th December 2021, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) collaborated with Chiang Mai province to hold the meeting on solving water quality problems in the Mae Kha Canal to determine concrete solutions to wastewater in the Mae Kha Canal for sustainability and to solve problems in the area. H.E. Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment chaired the meeting, and Mr. Jatuporn Buruspat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment attended the meeting at the Meeting Room of Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organization.

H.E. Varawut revealed that the Mae Kha Canal has a long-standing sewage problem. In 2017, MNRE and Chiang Mai province seriously discussed on the problem of water quality in the Mae Kha Canal. Later, Chiang Mai province has formulated the Mae Kha Canal Master Plan (2018-2022) under the vision “Beautiful Canal, Clear Water, Good Flowing, Happy Community” for each agency to implement the plan as a guideline for solving the problems in the whole system. Pollution Control Department (PCD) has monitored the water quality in the Mae Kha Canal since 2015 and has found that the water quality in the upstream water level was in the fair range. When the water flowed through the community, water quality would deteriorate. The dissolved oxygen value was less than 2 milligrams per liter. The water quality of the Mae Kha canal has slightly improved from past operations. However, most of the water quality is still at a deteriorated level because wastewater collection and treatment system does not cover the area and some project is still in progress. All parties have worked together to take the issue seriously and in the same direction in accordance with the guidelines “Fill – treat – extract – take care” : 1) filling water to the Mae Kha Canal, 2) treating wastewater by trapping wastewater from being discharged into the canal and sending it to the wastewater treatment or considering wastewater treatment in the canal, 3) extracting sewage that does not meet the standards from pollution sources, and 4) creating a network that consists of communities, pollution sources and local government organizations, to jointly take care of water quality.

H.E. Varawut said that the restoration and development of the Mae Kha Canal have 4 issues consisting of 1) filling water to the Mae Kha Canal by using water from Mae Ngat Dam (which tunnel between Mae Ngat and Mae Taeng will be built in the future) to the Mae Kha Canal which has the goal of completion by 2024 and improving small canals where the water comes down to the Mae Kha canal, 2) improving the wastewater treatment of Chiang Mai Municipality according to the plan that has been designed and preparing details of wastewater collection and treatment system of the 9 local administrative organizations along the Mae Kha canal, 3) enforcing the law on pollution sources covering 8 local authorities by creating an action plan or Road Map (which is estimated to be more than 1,200 locations), and 4) engaging all sectors to solve problems, creating learning and treating household wastewater of communities along the canal, creating a network to monitor water quality, and supporting entrepreneur to solve problems by setting wastewater treatment system which aim to restore and develop the Mae Kha Canal to have full water throughout the canal and to have good water quality in 2027 in order to have beautiful landscapes and tourist attractions.

Mr. Athapol Charoenshunsa, Director General of PCD said that 231 pollution sources were monitored and enforced by the sewerage control laws. PCD found that 181 pollution sources have discharged their wastewater according to the standards. In the future, 1,111 pollution sources will be monitored and enforced by the sewerage control laws. In addition, PCD will support the participation of 107 communities and pollution sources by educating, raising awareness, creating a water quality monitoring network, and supporting academic knowledge for studying the suitability of community wastewater management in order to achieve the goal of having a good ecosystem, returning a way of life along the Mae Kha Canal and returning sustainable clear water to the Mae Kha Canal.

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