SGWA upbeat over verdict on water scheme

THE SUPREME Administrative Court’s ruling today on the Bt350-billion water-management scheme would hopefully set a standard for other similar projects in the future, Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA) chairman Srisuwan Janya said yesterday.

The court is scheduled to read a verdict this morning for a lawsuit that was filed by Srisuwan and 44 others against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and three water management-related committees.

Srisuwan said he believes this verdict would go in the same direction as the ruling issued by the Central Administrative Court on June 27, 2013. The previous ruling said the government had to first carry out environmental and health impact assessments for projects that could be harmful to the environment and communities, he said. 

The Constitution’s Articles 57 (2) and 67 (2) also require that the authorities carry out environmental impact assessments and health impact assessment before implementing certain schemes.

“I believe the verdict will serve as a standard of practice for water-management plans in future,” Srisuwan said, adding that many SGWA supporters and allies would be present to hear the verdict.

If the court’s verdict grants victory to the people’s sector, then the next job would be for the public to be present at water-project areas and ensure everything is carried out according to law, Srisuwan added. 

On May 1 last year, Srisuwan and 44 plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against Yingluck, the National Water and Flood Policy Commission, the Water and Flood Management Commission and the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management. In the lawsuit they said they wanted the mega-project to be cancelled on grounds that the plan had failed to comply with the Constitution and that construction under the plan would cause adverse environmental and social impacts.