According to the RFA News1 & a video posted to Facebook, Mother Nature Cambodia, a Chinese-owned hotel and casino for pouring raw sewage into the sea off the coast of the popular resort town of Sihanoukville, following the closure of another on an offshore island on 04/17/2019.

In a video posted to Facebook, Mother Nature Cambodia activist Meng Heng said. Overhead footage shot with a drone camera clearly shows a large stream of discoloured water snaking through the beach behind the resort and spilling into the sea. According to a video posted on Facebook, Mother Nature, The Sunshine Bay Hotel and Casino is severely polluting the water off of Sihanoukville’s Independence Beach. He also noted that the seanear the hotel and casino has “an unusual odour and colour to it,” adding that as one approaches the perimeter of the property “we will be left in no doubt as to why this part of the beach receives notourists”. The massive Sunshine Bay Hotel and Casino finds that it is also spewing raw sewage into the sea, in much larger quantities than the one in Koh Rong Samloem.

On Thursday, according to Sihanoukville provincial spokesman or Saroeun acknowledged to RFA’s Khmer Service, that “sewage is a problem,” but said Sihanoukville city officials are “working toresolve the issue.” He said authorities are targeting serious polluters first, and that they will issue warnings to any buildings found in breach of the city’s regulations before punishing them forcontinued violations.

As a result, in mid-March, officials ordered a Chinese-run facility on Koh Rong Samloem Island, the Jin Ding Hotel and Casino to shut down, citing multiple violations by the casino of the law, theplaying of loud music on the beach, and the promotion of illegal online betting games. He also said, “We want investors to bring development, but we don’t want them to harm the environment.”According to Heng Rathpiseth, director-general of the Public Works Ministry’s public works department said the wastewater problem in Sihanoukville is in urgent need of attention, and that upgrades will need to be done gradually.

On September 17, 2021, Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration officially opened the construction site of the third large-scale wastewater treatment plant to increase the wastewater treatment capacity in response to the increasing liquid waste and reduce the impact on the environment. His Excellency Kouch Chamroeun, Governor of Preah Sihanouk Province, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the project is located in Village 4, Sangkat 4, which will be built on an area of 1.12 hectares and has the capacity to filter 20,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day.

In fact, Sihanoukville already has two wastewater treatment plants already operational. The first wastewater treatment plant (PS1) is located in Village 1, Sangkat 3 and has a wastewater treatment capacity of 5,200 cubic meters per day. Separately, the second wastewater treatment plant (PS2) is located in Village 4, Sangkat 4, Sihanoukville and has the capacity to treat wastewater in the amount of 7,200 cubic meters per day. It should be noted that the wastewater after passing through the treatment system will be good quality water without pollution and marine biodiversity.

**Note from the author**Things are happening for the better for the sake of our planet earth. Positive side note to everyone, we have noticed in Cambodia, more and more people are environmentally conscious (Being converted to) by your small actions of showing that you care even small bit. Private Businesses and Public Institutions join hands in hands to extend and further the positive effects. Please keep up with your small actions everyone!!

We ought to cease causing the environment to be destroyed in favor of its protection or a solution as young people. The ecosystem reciprocally protects us as we do more to preserve it. On the other hand, the more we harm the environment, the more harm we do to ourselves. Being a member of Generation Z, I am incredibly passionate about preserving the environment for future generations.

#econewslaos#DG8#bethechange#waterpollution#Cambodia