"Illegal pumping of groundwater
up every year up to two million tourists in the Cambodian Angkor to visit the famous Khmer temples, the massive influx of leads, especially in dry seasons to massive problems. Pumping more and more hotel operators in the burgeoning city of Siem Reap illegally on groundwater -.. the water level drops experts are sounding the alarm that brings the famous Khmer buildings at risk has been withdrawn too much water from the ground could crumble the historic cultural sites, or even collapse
Overloaded water system
The five-star hotels around. to the historic temples of Angkor are green oases - modern buildings, surrounded by tropical forests and expansive lawns. This luxury in an area with scant water resources is rather expensive. He just comes at the cost of that historical cultural sites, for which the flow of hundreds of thousands of tourists to Angkor.
Because the water that is used to supply the hotels and businesses will be deducted from groundwater. And that, experts fear, threatens the stability of the temples. The reports the British newspaper "Guardian". The temples and towers of the 402 square-mile Angkor region built on sandy ground, which is reinforced by the constant inflow of groundwater.
million liters per day illegally pumped
The widespread, unregulated pumping of groundwater feeds the fear that could break the temples, including the world's largest religious monument Angkor Wat, or crumble. For thousands of illegal tapping, private groundwater pumps millions of liters a day off, reports the Guardian.
What exactly is the amount is not known. "We know that there are many hotels that pump out their water themselves, but we do not know how much they consume," said Philippe Delanghe, head of the Department of Culture of UNESCO, UK, told the newspaper.
temple on sand-water mix built
"If it turns out, that there is an overuse of water, then the impact on the temples, because the temples are built on a mix of sand and water that keeps it stable. If you suck the water, the stability could cause problems "
particularly in dry times -. If and when the tourists are greatest - Water is already a valuable trading commodity. The number of visitors in 2008 reached a peak of two million, the financial crisis weakened the figures then again something. This year are expected to total about 1.6 million tourists. 7000
illicit pumps and sources?
same time, the numbers of inhabitants increased dramatically To: The inhabitants of the town of Siem Reap about, just five miles from the famous temple of Angkor Wat removed doubled in just over ten years to 200,000. According to official figures, the city may some nine million gallons of water daily pump out of the base - estimated by the City Government of Siem Reap-operated water supply authority, however, go in the direction of more than 50 million liters, the Director General Som Kunthea.
The Authority estimates that about 6,000 private and 1,000 pump sources have been developed in the city. Alone, individual entrepreneurs, such as the ice factory of the town pump, daily from more than one million liters of water.
The problem is that the skimming unregulated and virtually impossible to keep it in check, said Peou Hang, deputy director of the Angkor Conservation Board of the Cambodian government. "We can use the exact quantities they see every day can not figure out. I ask them, but they do not answer our questions, so we estimate need. "
danger of collapse if water level is too low
" If we pump out too much water, the ground water table, and we have a problem with the sand layer beneath the temples , thereby collapsing the temple. The Khmer temple is not composed of a single block - if there is movement among them, sometimes just inches, this can be a problem. Until now suggest, this problem has not emerged "
A Cambodian by the government-commissioned study on the future water supply options from Siem Reap to be completed by the end of the year when, the expectation of many measures. This is about the regulation of Grundwasserabpumpung count, and also refer to the proposal, water from other sources - such as the Tonle Sap lake.
Alternative: Suppliers Expensive water
"We do not know how much it costs, but it would be expensive, water here bring from far away, the Tonle Sap lake is more than 20 kilometers - that would cost a lot and that. Above Water Said do Som. New measures would be required, however, because the water authority did not have the capacity to meet the demand for drinking water.
"Sorry there is no evidence of an effect on the temples. But unless we begin now to consider future issues, and let people continue to pump out water and the population continues to grow, it is very well have an impact. "
SOURCE ORF.AT (280 910)
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