c/@pasted from thai visa

[andy50]

,this demonstrates how aid agencys work/dont work-------:-how do we help these people NOW, The government and NGO's are useless. Help, what can we do,NOW

There are many areas at Phangna in simular situations, just not tourist destioations so no help and piles of paper work, they need to drink water NOW not in a few days. I can not make a Sea Water Recovery Unit in this short of a time. They need help NOW.

Thanks
Farang62

The island is Koh Mook, in Trang province. There is a resort on the island with a deep water well to supply water for the resort. However, the villages on the island (400 families) do not have access to that water (probably because it is only sufficient for the resort’s own use). However, this create a misunderstanding on the availability of drinking water.



Outside of the resort, the wells are plenty but very shallow (3-7 m). Due to the dry season all the wells are pretty much empty, and, because of the tsunami, most of those wells are salty anyway. Bottom line is that there is no source of fresh water on the island that these guys can use.



The only widely available source of water is sea water.



There is a volunteer called Pat on the island (090093524) who pays every day about 10,000 baths of his own pocket to bring water on the island. He will be able to do so for another few days before his money runs out.



The Red Cross of Trang and the national Red Cross have been informed of the problem, are now very deep in red tape activities and are basically doing nothing efficient on the ground in any way. After spending a significant amount of time on the phone and in person with those guys, I have come to the conclusion that they are unable to provide any emergency response to an emergency situation.



I found water company with an used RO machine for 150,000 baths and an organization willing to pay 150,000 baths that RO system. I was supposed to go pick up the system and install it this morning. Unfortunately, the Water company overcommited themselves on the abilities of their machine, and it is just not able to handle sea water at all.



That means that 150,000 baths can be gotten on a very short term basis for a machine (but not to buy water), and I can handle more money for an emergency solution using other associations. So if you can find a RO machine that does the job now, I can get the money for it.



I am fully aware that huge amounts of money have been raised by large organizations such as the Red Cross, for which 150000 is a drop in the sea. However, the fact remains that I have not seen them do anything with it, in any of the locations I have worked in, which includes Pang Nga, Krabi and Trang, and seem completely unable to do something « now », so I have given up on them as being an emergency solution. Probably they can be gotten to pay for the long term, but a short term solution must be implemented in the next 2 days, regardless of who pays for it.



There is a possibility of drilling 2 deep wells on the island, but that takes time too, and although it is most likely the best long term solution, it doesn’t solve the problem of getting drinkable water now.



Anything you can do to either find a RO machine or bring fresh water to the island is most welcome.



TizMe Today, 2005-02-27 05:44:21