PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Environment has ordered the Kiridangrek Company to construct wastewater containment and treatment systems by Feb 17, after a fire destroyed thousands of plastic water pipes at a storage site.
The Feb 6 fire is believed to have been caused by the burning of rubbish.
The fire broke out at plastic pipe storage site belonging to Kiridangrek Company, which is responsible for implementing the wastewater drainage system for Battambang city.
Because the site was surrounded by rice fields and lacked access roads for fire trucks, and because the materials involved were highly flammable, the fire spread rapidly. Firefighters only managed to bring the blaze under control at 2am on Feb 7, using water from 30 fire appliances.
Thousands of the large and small water pipes stored at the site were destroyed, although some were saved. There were no human casualties.
Preliminary findings indicate that the fire was caused by the careless burning of rubbish. Battambang police
Following an on-site inspection of the site, in at Chamkar Samraong 1 village, Chamkar Samraong commune, Battambang town, officials from the General Department of Environmental Protection, working with provincial environment officials, issued instructions to Kiridangrek Company — a contractor for Battambang city’s water supply and sanitation project — on Feb 11.
The company was ordered to construct containment barriers around the site immediately, to prevent ash and debris from flowing into nearby rice fields during early seasonal rains.
On Feb 12, the environment ministry ordered the company to clean up all ash residue and melted plastic waste by Feb 17 and transport the waste for appropriate disposal at the Battambang provincial landfill.
Company representatives agreed to comply with the deadlines, in support of the Ministry’s efforts to prevent environmental pollution.
These actions align with the Royal Government of Cambodia’s environmental policies and strategies, particularly the Environmental Sector Strategy, aimed at keeping Cambodia clean, green and healthy for its people, and sustainably developed.
Battambang Provincial Police stated that preliminary findings indicate the fire was caused by careless rubbish burning near the site, which spread to the company’s pipe storage area. However, investigators are continuing investigations to determine the exact cause and assess the full extent of the damage. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
