Proposal to expand route in national park put on hold
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The National Environment Board has resolved against the Highways Department’s proposal to expand roads in Phetchabun province’s Nam Nao National Park, saying the proposal should be reviewed and other feasible options considered before the proposal is put forward again.
The board, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, considered the proposal in which the department aims to expand the road cutting through the national park by some 40 kilometres.
The No 12 road is part of a regional route linking Tak’s Mae Sot on the Myanmar border in the West to the edge of the Northeast province Mukdahan, which is next to Laos.
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposal was passed by the expert committee and tabled for the board’s consideration Wednesday.
Environmentalists have cried foul, however, saying that the section cutting through the park was densely populated by wildlife, including wild elephants, and there were salt licks serving the animals in a 2-km radius.
