ID :
173207
Tue, 04/05/2011 - 12:30
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/173207
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Industry Ministry denies mining caused landslides in Thai South
BANGKOK, April 5 (TNA) - The Industry Ministry has denied that mining caused landslides in Thailand’s southern region, insisting it has exercised strict control on all mines.
Withoon Simachokedee, permanent secretary of the Industry Ministry, responded to concerns that mining caused landslides in the South, especially in Nakhon Si Thammarat province where miners had to flee mines on Krungching Mountain. He added that landslides occurred in two mines on the mountain. A feldspar and barite mine. Their engineers have reported they were not the cause of the landslides. Withoon says he plans to inspect the sites himself. If the mines are unsafe, he will close them.
However, he insisted that the Department of Primary Industries and Mines was exercising strict control on mining. In the wake of southern flooding, the department’s staff visited the South to check the mines in the region and assured they would close risky sites.
Five southern provinces have faced the heaviest flood impacts on their industries in 40 years. They are Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Chumphon, Phatthalung and Krabi. The floods have damaged 1,836 factories, 62 mines, and 10 one-tambon-one-product (OTOP) groups of a total of 1,908 entrepreneurs and affected 29,535 workers in the provinces. The cost of the damage is estimated at 991 million baht. Damages in the nine other flood-affected southern provinces have not yet been estimated.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry has asked the armed forces to deliver 200,000 bags of four-kilogram rice to the South. Yanyong Puangrat, permanent secretary of the Commerce Ministry, said if it were insufficient, more would be delivered as the ministry still has about 1 million tons of rice in its stock. The ministry is contacting producers in Ratchaburi and Nakhon Pathom provinces to have them send pork, fresh vegetables and eggs to the South. (TNA)
Withoon Simachokedee, permanent secretary of the Industry Ministry, responded to concerns that mining caused landslides in the South, especially in Nakhon Si Thammarat province where miners had to flee mines on Krungching Mountain. He added that landslides occurred in two mines on the mountain. A feldspar and barite mine. Their engineers have reported they were not the cause of the landslides. Withoon says he plans to inspect the sites himself. If the mines are unsafe, he will close them.
However, he insisted that the Department of Primary Industries and Mines was exercising strict control on mining. In the wake of southern flooding, the department’s staff visited the South to check the mines in the region and assured they would close risky sites.
Five southern provinces have faced the heaviest flood impacts on their industries in 40 years. They are Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Chumphon, Phatthalung and Krabi. The floods have damaged 1,836 factories, 62 mines, and 10 one-tambon-one-product (OTOP) groups of a total of 1,908 entrepreneurs and affected 29,535 workers in the provinces. The cost of the damage is estimated at 991 million baht. Damages in the nine other flood-affected southern provinces have not yet been estimated.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry has asked the armed forces to deliver 200,000 bags of four-kilogram rice to the South. Yanyong Puangrat, permanent secretary of the Commerce Ministry, said if it were insufficient, more would be delivered as the ministry still has about 1 million tons of rice in its stock. The ministry is contacting producers in Ratchaburi and Nakhon Pathom provinces to have them send pork, fresh vegetables and eggs to the South. (TNA)
