The civic network against the Chao Phraya Promenade this week took a significant step towards nailing the coffin on the controversial project that it insists would cause permanent damage to the river ecology and livelihoods of those living along the river which is dubbed the nation's "blood vein".
Representing the network, town planning expert Paranee Sawasdirak on April 29 submitted additional documents to the Administrative Court to support the network's claims.
The network took a case to court last November as the Prayut Chan-o-cha government and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration kept shunning its concerns about the project's impact.
The project was initiated in 2014 by the military regime which assigned the BMA as project operator, and also allocated a portion of the budget.
It is one of the 12 river bank development projects known as the "River for All" package endorsed by the Interior Ministry in 2014.
The promenade was ranked top priority among the projects, and in its first phase encompasses a walking path and bike lane stretching seven kilometres on both sides of the river from Rama VII to the Pin Klao bridges at a cost of 14 billion baht.
The BMA, with help from soldiers, booted out a number of old, riverine communities to pave the way for the project even before the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study reports, carried out jointly by the King Mongkut's Institute of Technology (Lat Krabang campus) and Khon Kaen University, were completed.
Such hasty eviction fuelled anger from opponents who also worried the promenade would be an alien structure that affects the river flow and conditions.
The network alleged the promenade planning lacked public participation. Apart from evicting the community, those involved in the project are criticised for not incorporating the people's sector in the river development master plan drafting process.
In fact, there are signs that do not bode well for the project. A high-level source at the BMA told this newspaper late last year it appeared the Prayut government has accepted that it must suspend -- or even abandon -- the project due to public criticism and pressing resistance.
According to the official, the BMA finished the design and environmental studies and submitted all documents to the Interior Ministry for final approval several months ago. Yet the ministry has kept unusually quiet about it. There are reports that Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda has refused to back the project.
Many believe the minister's refusal must have had something to do with fears of losing public support for the Prayut regime ahead of the March 24 elections which turned out to be a fierce political battle for the military regime, with the Palang Pracharath Party at the forefront.
But it would be wrong to delay the project only because of political reasons. In fact, the ministry and the government should set up a dialogue with the people's sector, giving it a chance to provide input about the project, so they can make the right decision. If it's not worth it, the government should have courage to scrap it once and for all.
