More than 90 per cent of the plants within and outside the seven submerged industrial estates will resume operation before the end of December, Deputy Prime Minister/Commerce Minister Kittirat Na Ranong said on Friday

Mr Kittirat told reporters the industry ministry informed him that restoration at the submerged industrial estates has significantly progress. Floodwater has been drained out of each estate’s compound and most plants have repaired their machinery.

“The government believed that 90 per cent of those plants would be able to resume output before year-end,”

Mr Kittirat said.

Meanwhile, four factories in the Rojana Industrial Park resumed production and many factories have conducted cleaning after floodwaters entirely receded Dec 1, according to Witthaya Lueanglueyot, senior general manager of Rojana Industrial Park.

The rest of the plants are expected to restart operations after the New Year, he said.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will visit Rojana Industrial Park on Sunday to give moral support for entrepreneurs.

Rapid industrial expansion and population growth have outpaced environmental management, resulting in sharply increased pollution levels (e.g. solid and hazardous waste, air, noise, and water). For example, fine particles in Bangkok’s air exceed WHO standards by 2.5 times, and other air pollutants are also causing major health impacts. Overall, it is estimated that air and water pollution costs the country 1.6 – 2.6 percent of GDP per year.

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Most flooded plants back to normal before year-end: Kittirat