EGAT SLAMMED BY LOCALS AT FORUM ON SONGKHLA PLANT

       In a public forum organised yesterday, the Electric Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) was heavily criticised by the local public in Songkhla's Chana district over a controversial power plant.
       The plant began operating in 2005 and is still in its first phase.
       A resident accused Egat of being a "criminal" that had been plundering Thailand and the local public, as fish in several farms in a village had died last year and early this year. "Egat must show to us how to solve this problem and to compensate those affected, or the problems will become unending," said Hame Tohduan.
       Another resident, who asked not to be identified, said Egat instigated conflicts among local residents by treating well a group of them who would be of benefit to Egat - giving them grand meals and free hotel rooms - while a group of farmers who had been affected had been ignored and even had their requests to meet local Egat officials turned down repeatedly.
       "Egat has chosen to hear opinions from people of its choice and failed to treat wastewater it has discharged in a canal. The water appears clear but becomes toxic to certain fish, making some fish become extinct," he said.
       The forum was the second of its kind in the district. Many years ago Egat had a conflict with Songkhla people concerning a pipeline project, which sparked violent confrontations between police and opponents.
       Adirek Madman, chief of the Na Tab Tambon Administrative Organisation, said the new conflict over the power plant project stemmed solely from Egat's lack of sincerity by hiding the entire truth about the project from the local public. He called on Egat to promptly educate the people about the good and bad consequences of the plant as a gesture of goodwill.
       Pheeradis Hremae showed pictures of shrimp and fish killed by hot water discharged by the plant into canals to counter an Egat claim that it cooled down hot water before discharging it. He said Egat had acquired public approval from people living in the nearby tambons of Khlong Pia and Pa Ching, but did not do so with Na Tab people before building the power plant.