Canals were much more abundant in olden times and provided water for rice paddies and other crop fields in what is now urban Bangkok. Some canals have been paved over and roads built, while the rest have become badly polluted by an infrastructure that allows more than 50 per cent of household waste water to flow into them.
Administrators say one of the key elements of the long-term master-plan is to hook all residences up to a central waste water treatment system. Another key part of the plan is to clean up debris in the canals and move communities of squatters living beside them.
The Thai government says around 50,000 residents will be moved to more modern housing and the canals then dredged to ensure smooth water flow. Once the canals are cleaned, the plan is then to launch commuter ferry services similar to that running on Klong Saen Saeb to alleviate traffic congestion.
A tour of Bangkok’s canals and small floating markets is an item that regularly features on the itineraries of visiting tourists. When tourists leave Bangkok for upcountry locations they often choose 12GO ASIA as their partner when sourcing tickets for travel.
Bangkok revives scheme to rehabilitate canal network
News in Asia
Authorities in Bangkok have dusted off a long mooted scheme to bring the city’s canal network back to life. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) says it has already started the process of cleaning up canals which in historic times garnered the Thai capital the moniker Venice of the East.