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On the construction project of temporary toilet at Namchoan Cataract; January 23, 2006, a spare part C3 engine donated by Mr. Chartchai Lopsathit (Ter) was offered to Mr. Jitti Sawatsai; the head of Maharaja Wildlife Station. During the mission, 48 sets of electrical equipment, together with a Buddha image pedestal was also transported to rest at Tikong Wildlife Station before being delivered to Maharaja Wildlife Station afterward. Then, all construction materials and equipment; cement, sanitary materials, etc. were transferred to WFCC truck and Mr. Jitti's where some equipment were previously loaded.
At 4 pm, the construction teamwork started its way to Namchoan Cataract which was 9 kilometers far away. The first half way was not so terrible; however, it was harder then. After the truck past artificial salt lick, then the track slope down along hillside. During the way down hill, there were several across streams and deep ruts; especially along the last two kilometers that several travelers could not avoid accidents each year; mostly during rainy season.
Since 2002 when the Department of National Park launched a declaration that Namchoan Cataract is one of the two tourism routes of Western Thungyai Naresuan, many travelers came from everywhere, probably by its own famed beauty and challenging difficulties of the route. These resulted unavoidable effects to its ecology; such as environmental damages and garbage spoiled everywhere along the distance, travelers trapped and retrieved water lives by poaching tools, etc. Once, there was a quarrel between travelers that an eco-tourism group was unsatisfied by another group who spoiled garbage. The happen turned to be more serious when the eco-tourists accused the spoilers as they did not keep but destroy the environment of Thungyai Naresuan. Moreover, another problem found in this cataract, coping with water lives poaching both for food and commercial purposes. As once Mr. Tawatch Santhisiri accidentally found a water lives poacher during his duty to Maharaja Wildlife Station. He chased following the poacher. However, the poacher’s truck was unfortunately escapable from Thungyai Naresuan, loaded a large bucket full by fresh water fish.
It was over 4 years that Mr. Jitti, as well as WFCC officers, has never visited Namchoan River. The track was much more terrible than the in previous when it was not yet declared as a tourism route. Along its terribly rough landscape, tourist’ trucks; especially the low power and low efficiency ones, has to climb 5 kilometers uphill or against deep ruts where deep valley laid along its side. During the past 3 years, uncountable accidents with injuries and car damages occurred. Some groups had to leave their car back to town, then came back with spare parts and reparation tools. However, even how serious the accident was, fortunately, there never been anyone who died for it.
After 1 hour, construction teamwork finally reached “Tha-bon” (Northern Port) where was previously a shelter site of Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) workmen who had been settled for Namchoan Dam Construction Project. Also, the site stated as its storehouse before all materials, manpower, equipments and tools were transferred on board to their worksite at “Tha-Larng” (Southern Port), or known as “Tha Malee”. There, the desolated ruin constructions of EGAT were abandoned since 1990 when Namchoam Dam Construction Project was held back after strong protest by several conservative associations at that time. WFCC stayed at the scenery point, viewing the beauty of charming Namchoan Cataract from top view. Luckily, a group of monkey size otter appeared, swimming out from their sheltering stones. Their appearance with their shrill voices made all the construction teamwork very cheerful.
Then, the teamwork continued its way along the road track uphill until reach its end at Tha-Larng, then returned to stop at “Tha-Klang” (Central Port) where stated a tiny 30x10 meters sand shore at the bank of Namchoan River that the current flows to its cataract nearby. Because of its wonderful scenery, most of the tourists love to stay overnight there. While other staffs were surveying the site, Mr. Pranuch; WCFF academic officer, approached and reported a grateful discovery of Horsetail (Equisium debile Rixb, ex Vauch) at the river bank. Then, he invited the others to see. It was the second resource of Horsetail found in Thungyai Naresuan after the first one was previously found and recorded at the North-eastern of Thungyai, also by Mr. Pranuch, during the 2nd stage mission of Radio Communication Network Improvement Project in the early of the previous year 2005.
Horsetail is ancient vegetation originally belongs to the Paleozoic Period in 350 years ago, and still exist until the present. It was originally 30 meters high. As time past, its evolutional size has been much reduced to proper the changing conditions. However, there found a report of 10 meters high of Horsetail species exist in Mexico. In Thailand, there was record of only two species founded; the latest resource was recorded in 1998, at 600 meters from sea level in a tropical rain forest at Nan province.
In the morning of the next day while the teamwork; leaded by Mr. Jitti, started digging toilet holes, Mr. Pranuch pointed to a strange white hairy tiny living which has very tiny red eyes and springy movement. It can be assumed that, this wealthy area must contain abundant unknown living things inhabit, which were valuable and now waiting for discovery.
Fortunately, the ecosystem of Namchoan cataract was finally rescued from being drawn under reservoir following Namchoan Dam Construction Project. Even the left ruin constructions and materials were offensive toward its beauty scenery, but they are worth as to urge visitors’ awareness of nature as being the memorial of persistent fought, by the groups of eco lovers at that time, to reserve Namchoan valuable ecosystem.
It is a sympathy to all tourists who risk their lives for days through this terrain route just to see the renowned Namchon Cataract with their own eyes, and most of them have to spend at least one night to enjoy and absorb the beauty of nature. Human are as other livings, have to eat and evacuate, thus, used tissue were spread over the small camping area on the sand bank by the river and it was not a good scene for new coming tourists. Temporary toilet construction may help solve this problem for good sanitary and stop the spread of human disease to wildlife and nature which help retain the beauty of nature and its ecosystem. Though temporary toilet construction may not a good idea for long term problem solving of unmanaged heavy touring at Namchon, but it is better than doing nothing at all.
Not only garbage leaded by travelers, fecal matters with used tissue papers spoiled everywhere; making offensive images to its beautiful scenery and accumulating the source of germs. Therefore, the Toilet Construction Project was consequently initiated by the office of Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, manpower and Baht 5,000 of funding supported by WFCC. The temporary toilets were planed to be settled at two positions; Tha-Bon and Tha-Klang. Now is under construction process.
A proper and effective tourism management; including nature awareness encouragement, are such significant and inevitable activities of conservative task. May travelers’ respect to the place, together with their cooperation through Thungyai’s conditions and rules bring the more effective solution of Namchoan cataract current crisis.
Without consciousness and nature awareness, the charming Namchoan cataract will very soon turn to be a spoil dumping from tourists; also its pure ecology was completely destroyed, as such happened in many wonderful tourism places nowadays.
Surin / reported
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