Chiang Mai hit by drought

CHIANG MAI: -- At least three districts are being affected by drought, prompting the province to take action more quickly this year to tackle the lack of water.

Chiang Mai Governor Vilas Rujiwatanapong said southern districts Mae Chaem, Doi Tao and Hot had been suffering drought to some degree.

He said he had granted authority to all district chiefs to consider using an emergency budget of up to Bt1 million each for urgent relief operations.

The majority would be spent on providing water supplies to residents.

If the initial budget was not sufficient in any area where the problem is severe, the district chief could request more money, Vilas said, adding each one was allowed up to Bt50 million for these purposes.

-- The Nation 2007-02-19

Nong Kwai will probably soon be declared a drought disaster zone, after the flower expo pumped the water table almost dry.

Nong Kwai will probably soon be declared a drought disaster zone, after the flower expo pumped the water table almost dry.

How long since last rain? I 've been here since the end of October and It's been always sun (not complaining eh!)

Fire risk must be getting pretty extreme in the mountains by now.

It's burning in a lot of places. Went back and forth to Chiang Rai the other day - the smell of smoke was more or less constant, and all over in the forests, pillars of smoke rising... 500 meters from a national park office the forest floor was smoldering...