The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has detected arsenic contamination exceeding national safety standards in the Mekong River, stretching across Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, and Nakhon Phanom provinces. This part of the Mekong is Thai-Lao border.
Deputy Prime Minister and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin chaired a high-level meeting on November 13, announcing the establishment of three task forces to address the crisis—one for cross-border cooperation, one for environmental and health monitoring, and another for developing alternative water management measures in 22 river basins, including the Mekong.
Field tests conducted by PCD’s regional office in August found arsenic levels ranging from 0.013 to 0.019 mg/L, surpassing Thailand’s safety standard of 0.01 mg/L. Contamination was detected in several locations, including Chiang Khan (Loei), Had Kham (Nong Khai), Bueng Kan, and Nakhon Phanom in the Northeast.
While the government pushes for solutions, debate continues over the proposal to build sediment-trapping weirs—a measure criticized by civil groups as ineffective and environmentally harmful. Despite prior public opposition, some officials and politicians reportedly continue to advocate for the controversial project.
Suchart said the government will prioritize public transparency, scientific validation, and international cooperation, as pollution concerns now extend from the Mekong tributaries—Kok, Sai, the main Mekong stem, and the Salween rivers.
This is a translation of original Thai article, https://transbordernews.in.th/home/?p=44433
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