BANGKOK June 8 : Some 1,000 prisoners will be hired to clean Bangkok’s sewers starting July 1 in efforts to reduce flooding in low-lying areas in the metropolitan during the rainy season.
Department of Corrections (DoC) director-general Aryut Sinthopphan said only prisoners with good behaviour records from 10 prisons would be hired for the job.
He said the department would not force prisoners to work but those who are interested need to apply.
“Prisoners are not allowed to walk in the public area. They would not be allowed to meet family members and relatives while they are at work.
“DoC will provide meals to the prisoners. Payment for their work will be given when they complete their sentence and are released from prison,” he said.
The programme has been paused for two years by former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local media reported that Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt met with Aryut on Tuesday to discuss resuming the programme.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to clean 6,000 kilometres of sewers with an allocation of 15 million baht.
For the start, a total of 500 kilometres are expected to be cleaned in the first four months.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said the DoC was ready to send prisoners to clean the sewers.
“A total of 1,000 prisoners are expected to clean about 25 km of sewers in a day,” he said. -TVS
