Weeks after living with putrid water, dwellers of flood-hit Bangkok Noi District are starting to get a breath of fresh air _ with the help of effective micro-organism (EM) powder developed by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization.
The GPO recently gave away the powder, said to be more effective than EM balls, to 43 communities in Bangkok Noi through Siriraj Hospital. Bangkok Noi is the first flood-hit district to get the powder.
Floods are no stranger to the riverine communities, but this year's flood has been very severe.
"As a community near the Chao Phraya River, we have put up with waist-deep flood-waters for almost a month," said Apiruth Tradussadee, chief of Bangkok Noi District Office, adding now that the flood has largely receded, leaving unpleasantly stagnant water.
Normally, community dwellers make their own EM balls and EM water to cope with the foul conditions caused by the annual floods, but this time they have welcomed help from the outside.
"We usually face flooding every year when the sea tide rises; stagnant water is our annual problem," said Kul Sukornkamnird, head of Charunsanit-wong 41 Community.
"Home-made EM balls get rid of the stinky smell, enabling us to live in our own homes during the annual floods. However, this year's flood situation is very serious and we simply ran short of the balls and the odour of stagnant water got stronger and stronger. We have heard that the EM powder is more efficient and it is our hope."
GPO Klean, invented by the GPO in 2008, is a blue-grey powder consisting of Bacillus subtitles and four enzymes, namely protease, amylase, lipase and cellulose, that help digest organic waste such as starch, protein, fat and cellulose in any circumstances, even zero-oxygen areas.
The GPO said it is safe and environmentally friendly as, unlike the conventional EM balls which have molasses and rice bran as components, there is no waste left in the environment.
It's also easy to use. Simply mix a tablespoon of the powder with 20 liters of water, leave for 30 minutes to two hours, then pour into the stagnant water, and the smell will gradually disappear and the water will become clearer in about 1-4 weeks, depending on the water condition.
The GPO tested the powder with water samples from a sewage pipe in the Sathorn area and found it could considerably decrease biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) from 177.5mg/l to 58.7mg/l in three weeks and the water became obviously clearer.
"A test with a sample of stagnant water from the Wat Nairong area in Bangkok Noi also showed good results, the water condition improved in about a week," said GPO managing director Witit Artavatkun.
Asked about how GPO Klean is different from the EM balls, Witit said, "the powder consists of purely micro-organisms in dry spore form. It contains nothing that can make water more polluted."
One packet contains 200 grams of GPO Klean powder and only three of them are enough for 1,600 cubic meters or one-meter-high floodwater in an area of one rai.
"However, GPO Klean is not magic powder. It needs time for the microbe to work, the smell is not gone right after the GPO Klean water is poured into the polluted water. If you don't want to live with dirty water, you should change your behavior. Don't throw any garbage into the water," said Witit.
Free GPO Klean is up for grabs for all flood-hit communities. The GPO will distribute the powder through district offices.
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