Teacher Chea Meng, 47, checks his fishing nets in the flooded courtyard of Russey Keo district's Chea Sim Chamreoun Rath High School. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Written by Chrann Chamroeun and Thomas Gam Nielsen
The Phnom Penh Post
THE filling in of Boeung Kak lake has been suspended until flooding in the capital's Russey Keo district is under control, putting a temporary halt to one of Phnom Penh's biggest development projects, city officials said Tuesday.
"We have stopped [pumping sand into the lake] for a while, and when the flooding in Russey Keo has gone down, we will have a discussion with the company about pumping or not pumping," said Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong.
He added, however, that a "technical problem" had also halted the pumping, which he did not believe was directly responsible for the flooding that has left large swaths of Russey Keo under water for weeks.
"Heavy rain is the main source" of the flooding, he told the Post.
Boeung Kak residents have been engaged in a drawn-out fight with City Hall over compensation since a private company began reclaiming the lake in August, protesting several times for fair-market value for the homes they are losing.
Some 4,000 families will eventually be affected by the project.
An official with HSC, the company behind the pumping, said it had only stopped operations for last week's Water Festival but declined to comment further.
Several residents in the lake's Village 22 said that since the pumping stopped earlier this month, the water levels in their flooded homes have gone down significantly. "Before, when they were pumping, the water was almost one metre deep in my house, but now it is gone," one villager told the Post.
Officials at the Boeung Kak Development Committee's offices said Tuesday that they did not want to comment on the situation.
The 133-hectare Boeung Kak development will feature residential and commercial facilities.
But it has come under fire for its impact on the surrounding area, from expected flooding to the mass evictions.
City Hall has long maintained the land surrounding the lake - parts of which were a former Sihanouk-era park - is state land and could not be claimed by squatters under the Land Law.
"We have stopped [pumping sand into the lake] for a while, and when the flooding in Russey Keo has gone down, we will have a discussion with the company about pumping or not pumping," said Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong.
He added, however, that a "technical problem" had also halted the pumping, which he did not believe was directly responsible for the flooding that has left large swaths of Russey Keo under water for weeks.
"Heavy rain is the main source" of the flooding, he told the Post.
Boeung Kak residents have been engaged in a drawn-out fight with City Hall over compensation since a private company began reclaiming the lake in August, protesting several times for fair-market value for the homes they are losing.
Some 4,000 families will eventually be affected by the project.
An official with HSC, the company behind the pumping, said it had only stopped operations for last week's Water Festival but declined to comment further.
Several residents in the lake's Village 22 said that since the pumping stopped earlier this month, the water levels in their flooded homes have gone down significantly. "Before, when they were pumping, the water was almost one metre deep in my house, but now it is gone," one villager told the Post.
Officials at the Boeung Kak Development Committee's offices said Tuesday that they did not want to comment on the situation.
The 133-hectare Boeung Kak development will feature residential and commercial facilities.
But it has come under fire for its impact on the surrounding area, from expected flooding to the mass evictions.
City Hall has long maintained the land surrounding the lake - parts of which were a former Sihanouk-era park - is state land and could not be claimed by squatters under the Land Law.
9 comments:
The present is the sever flood on the surrounding areas.
Thereafter will be a serious land-slide of many areas along the river from which huge amount of sands is pumped out.
Hun Sen's administration can not see this millions of dollars negative impact of the Cambodians innocent just because of hundreds of thousands dollars earned for their own pockets from their foolly approved the so-call development projects.
I am wondering WHEN WILL THEIR COMARADE HOK LUN DY CALL THEM ALL FOR A GET_TOGETHER IN HELL?
Ah Savage Killer (Scam Rainxy) must be stopped from bring evil into Cambodia.
one thing cambodia still has to master is the control of seasonal flooding as well as stocking water for dry season uses as well. this is one area cambodian gov't should focus on helping to develop the country to be successful in this field as well. god bless cambodia.
6:02 PM...
Your brain is fucked up...
I did not see any word... Sam Rainsy...
in the 4:41 PM comments.
You hate so much Sam Rainsy that you forget
who you are?
beside, this is a really funny situation...
Fishing in the monsoon season.
We rarely see a flood last that's long !
Welcome to CPP world !
Welcome to the 80s and the Kor praam.. Kor-5
Khmer Canadian
Hi Everyone. Why can't we be civil on this forum? We are all Khmer. I'm not affiliated with Sam Rainsy, but I can't understand why some people hate him. He's never been given a chance to lead the country, so I don't know how some people could be so mean to him.
I disagree with Sam Rainsy's politics because he is too close to the West. But I think deep down he is a patriot is just using the Westerners as a tool to make our country better.
Dealing with the west (rich countries) at least you'll get a bone to chew. Dealing with the poor countries, you'll get a tasteless bone that has already been chewed by them at a higher price.
Sam Rainsy is too patient. He is just like Mosses in the Ten Commandment.
This is the MOST stupid decision anybody has ever made--filling a lake??
What do we need lake for when we got miles and miles of the Bassac river?
6:02 PM... Ah pleur Hund Xen supporter!!!You have no brain!!
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