Residents of the Mae Nam neighbourhood on Koh Samui island are raising the alarm over a suspected illegal rubbish dump that is causing nuisances and health risks.
Aerial photographs show heaps of waste abandoned near a waterway, in the soi 1 area. According to locals, these deposits are regularly accompanied by open-air fires, releasing acrid smoke and a persistent odour.
Residents express their exasperation at a situation they find untenable:
“Today, we have to wonder if someone will burn waste again, if we will be able to open our windows to sleep, and if the water and air around our homes remain safe,” they testify.
They point out that they pay their taxes and raise their children locally, while claiming the right to a healthy environment. Several risks are highlighted: the proximity of the waste to water points, the possible contamination of soil and air, as well as the effects on public health.
Locals are calling on the Koh Samui municipality and the relevant authorities to intervene quickly. They are requesting verification of the existence of an operating permit, analyses of water and soil quality, an end to the burning, and publication of the inspection results. There is no information about where the waste came from, although suspicion has fallen on unscrupulous waste-collection subcontractors.
Source : source locale