Thailand flooding damages environment

The report Thai Pollution 2011 added that the water quality of Chao Phraya River, which is the major river in the Asian country, deteriorated by an alarming rate of 70%. Floodwaters that spread through the Thai capital, Bangkok, were drained from industrial and agricultural areas into rivers and canals, which caused the level of dissolved oxygen to drop affecting the water quality of upper Gulf of Thailand. “An estimated 10 million cubic of water has poured into the Gulf of Thailand. This water has picked up chemical on its way and threatens to enter the sea food chain," Phon Kahjai of Bangkok Water Department told Press TV. Floods have added two million tons of garbage in Bangkok and 1.3 million tons elsewhere to the already 16 million tons of garbage produced per year. Local government has announced that 96% of flood-affected provinces have seen no disease outbreaks so far, but experts believe that contaminated rivers could cause a long-term health problem. The overall situation in Thailand has returned to normal, but the floods long-term aftereffects especially on the environment remain unsolved. Experts worry that if not taken seriously, the spread of diseases could reach an alarming rate.