Out of the old, into the new
More residents of houses illegally built on canals are snapping up new government-supplied homes
The difficult job of moving people out of their illegally built homes proved quite easy recently after city officials successfully relocated residents encroaching onto Khlong Lat Phrao in Bang Khen district.
The relocation was a pilot scheme in a long-term project that will eventually see many more families removed from other areas along Khlong Lat Phrao and other canals in the capital.
The residents were quite willing to move, City Hall’s Drainage and Sewerage Department chief Kangwan Deesuwan said.
It has given those affected the chance of a better quality of life and will allow for better handling of floods that plague the capital, he said.
Providing new space that is close to their old home was the main factor for the success, Mr Kangwan added.
Residents in the Bang Bua community, who encroached along Khlong Lat Phrao, were relocated to a new area nearby with the help of authorities under the “Solid House Residence” scheme, or the Ban Man Kong project), which is aimed at eradicating slums in the city.
City Hall worked with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to help the residents, Mr Kangwan said, adding the ministry provided affordable housing for the local people.
The advantage of the government’s housing project was that the new location was close to the old one, allowing residents to stay close to their friends and their workplace, Thawil Jantham, a member of Bang Bua community said.