Yala Flood Retention Plan Halted Amidst Community Protests

A public hearing on the controversial water retention project aimed at preventing flooding in southern Yala city has been put on hold amid growing protests by community leaders and environmentalists. The Water Resource Department on Monday announced the cancellation of the hearing for the Phru Lan Khwai scheme that was planned for Wednesday in Muang district. The public hearing would have allowed for the collection of opinions and details from local residents, other affected groups, and local officials. The department's proposal involves using 15,000 rai of land in Raman district of Yala and Thung Yang Daeng district of adjoining Pattani province to hold floodwater from the Pattani River, thereby saving Yala city from inundation. Phru Lan Khwai is situated within the Sai Buri River basin and is designated as a Ramsar site, an internationally recognized wetland of significance. This area is rich in natural resources that support farming, fishing, and livestock. Villagers, religious leaders, and environmentalists have expressed strong opposition to the project, citing concerns that it would ruin the lives of local farmers and fishermen and inflict damage upon the ecosystem. Their latest protest action on Monday saw approximately 150 residents, human rights defenders, environmentalists, academics, and civic networks sign a statement demanding the government reconsider the project. The statement read, "We all understand that finding a way to prevent flooding is crucial. But it should not mean a burden will be shifted from one group to another." On Friday, religious leaders had led villagers in organizing a Muslim ceremony in the area, sending a clear message that local people did not want their land used to store excess water. Villages in the Sai Buri River basin rely heavily on the land and the swamp in Phru Lan Khwai for their livelihoods, including rice farming, freshwater fishing, and herding cattle, benefiting from the nutrients brought downstream by the river. "If a water retainer is built here, all arable land will be gone," Nurmah Damii, a villager from Thung Yang Daeng district of Pattani, told The Reporters during an online forum on Monday. "We all grew up learning to be livestock and rice farmers, and fishermen. What will become of our lives when, all of a sudden, a water retention project arrives?" The postponement of the hearing underscores the complex challenges in balancing urban development and flood mitigation with the preservation of rural communities and their natural environment. The Water Resource Department's next steps are anticipated with considerable interest. Information Source: Bangkok Post