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For toxic-free Mother River, Thais urged and motivated

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Once upon a time, as Thai folklore goes, two village girls were captured by a vicious crocodile and locked in a dungeon under Chao Phraya River; a mighty hunter, on a heroic underwater journey, killed the beast and rescued the girls.

The Chao Phraya River [File photo]

But this story doesn't always have a happy ending. In a comic adaptation by some Greenpeace activists, the plot took a drastic turn when the protagonist set foot on the river: he was paralyzed by the toxic water instantly and forced to retreat from the endeavor.

The scenes went on as a green-colored serpent god, on bended knees, chanted in overcast and weeping voice the sad story of how Chao Phraya River, which many Thais hold dear to heart as the " Mother River", was utterly changed by decades of industrial pollution.

The mini-show was staged Wednesday morning not in a theater but in a restricted space inside the hall of the Ministry of Industry. Its audience was a group of government officials who were taking break from their daily work laying out industrial landscapes for the country. Some of the viewers laughed aloud as they realized the mockery and some seemed to be consumed by rethinking.

Arthit Wuthikaro, director-general of the ministry's Department of Industrial Works, vowed that his people would stay open to hear from civil society groups like Greenpeace and heed their advice. " We are committed to making our service and policies attend to the need of the country's economic development, at the same time, to conserving nature and its fragile ecosystems," he said.

As a major river in Thailand, Chao Phraya originates from the north, runs through the alluvial plain in the central and empties into the Gulf of Thailand. Boat services on the river are still attractive for commuters in Bangkok who want to avoid the city's infamous road traffic jams. Foreign tourists favor the fancy and luxury cruises to appreciate the intoxicating night scenery along the river.

But pollution has become a major problem during the past decades. Large chunks of garbage are often seen floating on the river and taint the view. The smell is usually unpleasant.

On the eve of the annual World Water Day, Greenpeace launched a major campaign in Thailand to raise its people's awareness of toxic pollution on Chao Phraya. It handed over the Ministry of Industry its latest report on the hazardous chemicals found in the river.

The research was conducted by Greenpeace researchers throughout last year and the samples were taken from canals and branches of Chao Phraya near some textile factories. The result is alarming. High concentrations of dangerous heavy metals such as nickel, zinc, chromium, cooper and lead were detected and hormone disrupting chemicals such as Nonylphenol, a substance restricted in the United States, Canada and EU, were also found. However, many Thais have not fully realized the danger.

The Greenpeace campaign will be a wake-up call upon the Thai government, corporations and ordinary people for urgent and transparent toxic elimination action on the river, said Ply Pirom, campaign manager of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

"It is aimed at ensuring the future generations of Thailand can enjoy the right to toxic-free water. We are speaking for ourselves, our future generations and also the animals that are and will be suffering from water pollution," he added.