The sea of mud left behind on roads and in houses by the devastating flooding in early September, in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai, is posing a big headache for officials, who are racing against time to rehabilitate this key border town so the people’s lives and businesses can resume.
Many residents, particularly those living in the low-lying areas, are still unable to return to their houses, even though the floodwater has already receded, because the houses and road access to them are still clogged with mud.
The non-profit Mirror Foundation has, however, recently come up with a way of temporarily solving the mud problem.
The idea is to dig a hole, about 5-6 metres deep and 4x4 metres across, to be used as a temporary storage place for the mud, before it is moved elsewhere for disposal.
The idea has been put to trial in front of the house of Mr. Karn, in Soi 8/2 of the Muang Daeng community. Karn agreed to sacrifice part of his land for this idea, hoping that it will help to get rid of the mud in the community.
An official of the Mirror Foundation explained that all the drains in this community are clogged with mud, so there is no way for the muddy water, which is about knee-deep, to drain away, adding that the hole is just a temporary solution.
Elsewhere in Mae Sai township, officials and volunteers have been busily reinforcing embankments along the Sai River, behind the Sai Lom Joi market, as a precautionary measure ahead of more rainfall in the next few days, as predicted by the Meteorological Department.
Residents in Ban Tham Pha Jom have returned to their homes, although there is no electricity or tap water yet.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has sent a few mud extraction trucks and about 20 men to help in removing mud and muddy water in Mae Sai.
