Often smelt, but rarely seen, Mae Kha Canal is one of the city’s most important waterways. But after a much-lauded cleanup over the past few years, turning a literal sewer into a major tourist attraction, locals are now complaining that the Mae Kha Canal is beginning to cause a stink again while authorities ask for understanding as they are still working on phase II of the anal cleanup and promise all will sparkling clean and minty fresh by the high season.
While the water has turned putrid and temporary methods to help alleviate the stench such as adding fountains to oxygenate the water are not holding up, the municipality has reached out to the media to ask the public for some patience. According to a representative of the local municipality, the Mae Kha Canal is currently undergoing its second phase of rejuvenation and it means that there is some neglect happening with water being backlogged due to construction and cleaning works. They say that all will be flushed out and cleaned in time for the expected mass tourism arrival next month. The municipality says that they are still dedicated in solving the Mae Kha Canal problem and will keep the public informed of progress.
But if you have always wondered what the deal is with this perennially pungent problem, read on.
Mae Kha Canal, which runs parallel to the Ping River was a major factor behind King Mengrai’s decision to build Chiang Mai city in this location over seven centuries ago. Wending its way through the city from north to south, the canal and its many offshoots acts as a buffer between the Ping River, which is historically prone to flooding, and the walled moat. In days of old, water would flow down from the mountains, entering the moat from the north and northwest corners, working its way towards the northeast corner where there was a natural swamp which acted as a reservoir before being released into Mae Kha Canal at various points along its 11 km journey through the city. Once filled, water would then flow into a multi-veined network of subsidiary canals, eventually and gradually joining the Ping River heading south towards the plains of central Thailand. The water would remain fresh year round as the continuous flow from various mountain streams would effectively flush the city streams.
Over-development and bad city planning have meant that many of these natural waterways have been blocked; by the super highway which was built in the 1950s; by encroaching communities which seem to be playing a constant game of eviction-and-build against local authorities; and by rampant and unchecked construction, creating what has been a decades long headache and nasal assault that is Mae Kha Canal. On top of all that, businesses and private homes along the canal refuse to use waste water management systems consistently and properly, clogging up the canal with sewage and waste. Then there is the larger problem of dwindling water resources in the region as a whole due to the denuding of our forests.
In the (long) past Mae Kha Canal was used by residents of the city for transportation as well as fishing and agriculture; the banks of the canal were lined with farms, their produce feeding the city. Mae Kha Canal was also an important buffer against floods when the Ping River overflowed, keeping the moated city nice and dry. The water would flow through the complex of waterways year round, flushing away impurities and providing an important habitat for a thriving ecosystem both in the water and along its lush banks.
Why do we care?
For decades however (and only until very recently along a short section of the canal) Mae Kha Canal has been a pungent, ugly sewer which every mayor since Citylife began interviewing two and a half decades ago has promised to fix. In fact, it has even been proposed that we simply cover up the canals and turn them into sewers and drains, handily ending all lingering problems.
Mae Kha’s significance was explained to Citylife by Chiang Mai resident Dr. Richard Engelhardt, a former Regional Advisor for UNESCO in a 2019 article: Our Journey to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage City:
“[Mae Kha Canal] was part of Chiang Mai founder King Mengrai’s sophisticated Khmer-influenced water management system, [which] was highly sophisticated and showed great understanding and foresight, thus enabling Chiang Mai to continue to function as a sustainable city even as it has grown exponentially in size from the small town of the 13th century into the urban metropolis it is today.”
In 2019 Citylife announced that a 22 million baht budget had been allocated for the cleanup of a 750 metre stretch of the canal (which has a total length of 11km wending its way through Chiang Mai city and environs). Amidst great fanfare, the newly renovated and cleaned canal was launched two years ago with if not crystal then very clear water, gentrified banks and footpaths as well as a community promising to maintain quality. Instantly Chiang Mai’s beleaguered canal became a national sensation with media comparing it to Japan’ s admirable city waterways. Tourists flocked to the canal, small home stays and cafes opened up and Mae Kha, against all odds, became a checkin spot drawing tourists and locals alike.
Over the past two years the municipality has worked with the Irrigation Department to release, when available, up to 44,000 m3 of water into the Mae Kha to flush out impurities and keep water flowin. Regular clearing of waterways has also allowed for more free movement of water along various channels.
As phases II and III of the Mae Kha Canal rejuvenation project are currently being worked on, the amount of water released has been reduced to allow construction workers to build banks and side walks as well as to clear out offshoots of the canal. This will cause temporary problems of stagnant water, authorities warn, but ask for patience.
