Lab tests have detected a large number of parasites in the mud sediment of Chiang Mai's famous moat, where many Songkran festival revellers draw their water supply. No official warning against parasitic infections has been issued by health experts, and municipal Chiang Mai officials said they are working to clean the moat' s water so it can be safely used in Songkran celebrations from April 10-15. The moat, which is located in the old precinct of Muang district, hosts parasitesamples that look like leeches, according to the initial lab results of Maejo Agricultural University's Faculty of Fisheries Technology and Aquatic Resources. The university's experts detected the parasites while they were testing the water forheavy metal pollution. It has not been determined exactly what type of parasitesthey are. The discovery prompted the Chiang Mai municipality to investigate thehygiene of the water in the moat. Meanwhile, other government departments are working to boost water supplies for Songkran festival revellers.The Chiang Mai Provincial Irrigation Office released water from Mae Chok Luangreservoir to increase water volume in the moat. The Provincial Waterworks Authority installed 12 tap water vending machinesnear the Nawarat Bridge and along Tha Phae Road in the downtown area. Governor Suriya Prasatbandit yesterday brought almost 1,000 volunteers to clean the areas around the moat and nearby Tha Phae Gate. The roads adjacent to the moat are expected to be crowded with people turning up for the Songkran celebration over the long weekend. Another pollution problem, haze, is sitting slightly above safety standards at one microgramme above the 120 microgrammes per cubic metre limit, according to measurements by the Yupparaj Wittayalai School in Muang district.
The pollution problem persists despite efforts to curb it, such as water spraying todispel dust, because farmers persist in field burning and lighting forest fires, said Mr Suriya. Officials have installed water sprinklers on the Nawarat Bridge to curb the dustlevels and provide relief to revellers.