(March 21, 2025)—The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has responded to public outcry over the appalling state of Khlong Lot Wat Ratchanadda, a canal adjacent to City Hall, which social media users have depicted as being choked with rubbish and fouled with black water.
Mr. Jetsada Jantraprapa, Director-General of the Drainage and Sewerage Department, BMA, has outlined a multi-pronged strategy to combat the persistent pollution.
Mr. Jetsada clarified that daily rubbish collection is already underway, with four strategically placed debris traps deployed at Trok Sake, Dinso Road, Maha Chai Road, and the Khlong Ong Ang discharge point.
These traps are cleared twice daily, at approximately 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM, yielding an average of 600-700 kilogrammes of refuse per day. A significant portion of this originates from the Trok Sake area, a site of food distribution to the homeless, and from residents who continue to discard waste directly into the canal. Despite these daily clean-ups, the rubbish problem persists.
To address this, the Drainage and Sewerage Department is collaborating with the Phra Nakhon District Office to enforce stricter measures. This includes deploying city inspectors for increased surveillance, issuing public appeals against illegal dumping, and regulating food distribution at Trok Sake.
Further plans are underway to coordinate with the Phra Nakhon District and the Traffic and Transportation Department to install CCTV cameras, both as a deterrent and to gather evidence for legal prosecution of offenders.
In addition to daily rubbish removal, the department completed dredging operations in February 2025 to clear submerged debris and sediment. Furthermore, a new wastewater collection system is being constructed along Khlong Lot Wat Ratchanadda and Khlong Lot Wat Ratchabophit, connecting to the Rattanakosin Water Quality Control Plant.
This system, utilising 315-millimetre HDPE secondary wastewater collection pipes, will divert household wastewater to the treatment plant. Construction on Khlong Lot Wat Ratchabophit is complete, and work on Khlong Lot Wat Ratchanadda is 95% finished, with completion expected by 31st March 2025. This infrastructure is expected to significantly improve the canal’s water quality.
Khlong Lot Wat Ratchanadda, originating from the old city moat, stretches approximately 1,160 metres.
The Drainage and Sewerage Department maintains regular rubbish collection across its network of canals. Inner-city canals, prone to higher volumes of waste, receive daily or even twice- or thrice-daily cleanings. Outlying canals, experiencing less severe pollution, are cleaned on a rotational basis of every three to seven days.
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