Siem Reap in dirty water

Cambodge Soir

12-09-2008

Back from a seminar in the tourist city, some teachers complained about the quality of the water in their guesthouse, which “reeked of sewer”.

The quality of the water in Siem Reap is so bad that some teachers attending a seminar in the city refused even to wash themselves with it.

Sok Maly, a teacher from Banteay Meanchey province was reluctant to use the guest house water as it “stank like sewers, I could not wash the entire week”, she said.

The water system of the former royal capital is deficient; therefore many locals use ground water from wells. “It is most likely that the water in this guest house came from a shallow well”, said Hy Sambath, a teacher in Siem Reap.

Water from the stung Siem Reap which was drinkable during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era of the 1950-1960s is now undrinkable. “The pollution started in the early 90s, at that time many people were bathing in it. Nowadays those brave enough to swim in the river can easily be infected with scabies”, added Hy Sambath. Illegal dwellings of squatters by the river also added to the water quality worsening despite work carried out by environmental NGOs. The relocation of these makeshift dwellings is still at the planning stage.

As for Toa Kimesan, the director of the Provincial education Unit, he claimed not to be responsible. “The body in charge of choosing the guest house is the Teacher’s Association. I guess that the Guesthouse manager did not inform the Association of the quality of the water when the booking was made”, he declared.

Rong Chhun, the President of the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association, a union close to the opposition, often criticised the lack of resources for teachers.