Court halts Chao Phraya riverside revamp over lack of public consultation
The Central Administrative Court on Thursday ordered a halt to construction of the Chao Phraya River Development project until it complies with legal requirements for a public hearing and environmental study.
The court also put the project, run by the Interior Ministry, on hold until it receives a green light from the Marine and Fine Arts departments.
The Civil Society Planning Network sought the injunction to halt the project as part of its lawsuit against the Cabinet, Interior Ministry, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), and the Chao Phraya River Development committee. The network claims there has been no proper public hearing or environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project.
Under the project’s pilot phase, bicycle lanes and public parks will be built along both banks of the river from Somdet Phra Pinklao Bridge in Bangkok Noi district to Rama VII Bridge in Bang Sue – a distance of 14 kilometres.
The development will eventually expand to cover a 57km stretch along the river from Rama VII Bridge to the border with Ayutthaya province.
The court said the BMA had submitted a preliminary environmental report but failed to deliver a full EIA study report as required by law.
The court also ordered the four defendants to conduct a public hearing on the project, as per the law, as well as seek approval from the Marine Department for construction on the riverside.
The court said the project also requires written permission from the Fine Arts Department before construction can begin in areas adjacent to or within historic sites and national museums.
