Washington
05 September 2008
Responding to concerns that a lake development project could damage the environment of Phnom Penh, a senior municipal official said Thursday a 10-year study had taken place before the plan was approved.
The company developing the lake, Shukaku, Inc., began filling Boeung Kak lake last week, angering residents who say a government buy-out effort is too low and raising environmental concerns.
But a 10-year study has shown the lake is no longer a reservoir and is not an important part of the city's infrastructure, said Pa Socheartavong, deputy governor of Phnom Penh, as a guest on "Hello VOA."
The lake is not being used for agriculture and cannot produce clean water, he added.
"This lake is just like a polluted bomb in town," where residents drain their waste daily, he said. "It's a dead lake. That means no activity."
The city decided to privatize the lake, offering a 99-year lease to Shukaku, which will develop the area into a long-term recreational area and reservoir, as well as a site for residential and commercial property.
The development will force more than 4,000 families to move, and many of them have proven reluctant to do so. The city has offered $8,000 per household to help people move, but residents say they want to be paid current market prices.
Around 1,000 families are still protesting the move.
But not all residents there are legal, Pa Socheartavong said. Following the 1993 election, many people moved from border areas and settled around the lake on public land.
The city has offered three options to residents, he said. They can either take the buyout, be moved to housing in another area, or wait for housing in the same place they now occupy.
The lake issue became politicized ahead of July's general election, he added.
The company developing the lake, Shukaku, Inc., began filling Boeung Kak lake last week, angering residents who say a government buy-out effort is too low and raising environmental concerns.
But a 10-year study has shown the lake is no longer a reservoir and is not an important part of the city's infrastructure, said Pa Socheartavong, deputy governor of Phnom Penh, as a guest on "Hello VOA."
The lake is not being used for agriculture and cannot produce clean water, he added.
"This lake is just like a polluted bomb in town," where residents drain their waste daily, he said. "It's a dead lake. That means no activity."
The city decided to privatize the lake, offering a 99-year lease to Shukaku, which will develop the area into a long-term recreational area and reservoir, as well as a site for residential and commercial property.
The development will force more than 4,000 families to move, and many of them have proven reluctant to do so. The city has offered $8,000 per household to help people move, but residents say they want to be paid current market prices.
Around 1,000 families are still protesting the move.
But not all residents there are legal, Pa Socheartavong said. Following the 1993 election, many people moved from border areas and settled around the lake on public land.
The city has offered three options to residents, he said. They can either take the buyout, be moved to housing in another area, or wait for housing in the same place they now occupy.
The lake issue became politicized ahead of July's general election, he added.
6 comments:
From what year to what year was this 10 year study done and who was doing it? What topics (Environmental, economics etc..) did the study covered?
i think gov't has the right to develop the boeng kak lake and areas as it looks like a mosquito-infested swarm land right in the center of phnom penh. however, people have to be compensated properly and fairly to move, though.
Why Cambodians become materialistic?
Yesterday, KFC security guards took my old motorcyle out of the shade even though there were many books under the rain.
They prefered to put new motorycle without any books under the shade? That's how Kith Meng teach his staff to do that?
So unfair!
What can you expect from the government? I ignorantly can say that the govt. takes advantages from its own people all time. Laws passed coz of great pressure, I never see govt. willing to iniate any good-will laws rather hold on tight to their party, associates clans'interests. no wonder since no much intelligence and professionalizm used much in the govt.'s house. What they so-called call politics??? Cambodians you better look at the structures and the nature of the government whether the policies really benefit people first and in the long run, BUT WHAT I CAN UNDERSTAND IS ALL THE BENEFITS GO TO THE ALLIES OF THE GOVT. FIRST. Here is the hypothesis: 100% of state revenue, which a small sum goes into the case of the party, another sum in the pocket of individuals with closed connection to the top and just the left sum goes into the state case. What a pity that is why about six millions in Cambodia live under poverty line!!!!!!
in the phnom penh there is no any real park.and the bing kakk lake is good to be built as one real good park for people to relax from working all days.nowaday people have used the old staduim of olympic as their park already.what a shame country it is that there is no any park.please go and see the parks of other cities in the world.
Cambodia must continues to move in the right direction. It must continue to develop, develop, and develop, no time to stop, not even a millisecond.
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