Thailand proceeds with industrial waste management

BANGKOK, June 9 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Industry, proceeds with its policy on industrial waste management, starting in Bangkok's neighboring Samut Prakan Province, where there are more than 7,300 factories. Delivering a speech at the opening session of a seminar on industrial waste management in Samut Prakan on Tuesday, Thai Permanent Secretary for Industry Atchaka Sibunruang stressed that industrial waste management is a priority of the government, as the interim administration plans to handle 1.5 million tons of industrial wastes and include all local factories causing the wastes in the national waste management system over the next five years. Atchaka said the move was first implemented in Samut Prakan because a total of 7,355 plants in the province have created up to about 1.6 million tons of industrial waste annually, about 25 per cent of which or 60,000 tons, are hazardous wastes that have not been disposed of properly and her ministry has, thus, targeted the portion for waste management. According to the senior official, under a 20-year plan, her ministry will find at least six areas to accept industrial wastes and build a 1.8-billion-baht incinerator to destroy the garbage. The senior official cautioned that dumped industrial wastes harm people and affect the environment and her ministry must, thus, handle them comprehensively and lay down foundations for their long-term solutions. (TNA)