Agency dismisses fear of drought, predict rains from late May

By THE NATION

 

 

THE DRY SEASON, which is threatening many provinces with a shortage of water for consumption, is expected to only last until the third week of May.
 

Therefore, the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) believes there will be enough water in all areas provided its water-management plans are implemented strictly. 

 

“Weather forecasts show that the rainy season will start between May 20 and 25,” ONWR secretary-general Somkiat Prajamwong said yesterday, dismissing widespread claims that Thailand will be hit with a long-drawn-out drought this year.

 

He added that his agency has worked with relevant authorities to analyse weather conditions, and is drawing up plans in line with rainfall predictions. 

Somkiat added that areas facing the risk of water shortage have been identified as part of the plan. 

 

“We have informed the Provincial Waterworks Authority [PWA] of the risk, and it has taken steps to ensure there is adequate supply of water and that taps don’t run dry,” he added. 

 

Without preparations, the provinces of Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Bua Lamphu, Buri Ram, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen, Roi Et, Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, Chanthaburi, Surat Thani, Phang Nga and Phuket could face water shortage. But the PWA has taken steps to take water from nearby provinces. 

 

Somkiat said his agency has also informed municipalities that are at risk of water shortage. “We have also identified water sources that are within a 50-kilometre radius that can be used if local water sources run dry.” 

 

As for irrigation, he said some 151,552 rai (24,248 hectares) of farms outside irrigated areas might be affected by drought. The farms facing a shortage are located in the provinces of Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Nong Bua Lamphu, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Si Sa Ket and Suphan Buri.

 

The ONWR has also found that the number of double-crop paddy fields in irrigated areas exceeded the quota by 1.21-million rai. 

 

“The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry believes it should be able to provide water for all these fields,” Somkiat said, adding that the ONWR will nudge relevant authorities to strictly control the use of water for agriculture, especially in the Chao Phraya River Basin. 

 

“We will communicate with farmers too, as we will need to strictly implement water-management plans to prevent shortage during the ongoing dry season,” he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365392

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-08

 

As far as I can see there are water shortages all the time,  not from lack of rain or poor storage but from poor and mismanaged infrastructure. 

"Agency dismisses fear of drought, predict rains from late May"

 

And I predict a big lottery win for me before the end of May. Millions !!!

(at least in my dreams)

"...Weather forecasts show that the rainy season will start between May 20 and 25,” ONWR secretary-general Somkiat Prajamwong said yesterday, dismissing widespread claims that Thailand will be hit with a long-drawn-out drought this year..."

 

I am curious...

 

If this official 'dismisses' the wide-spread claims that Thailand will be hit by a 'long-drawn out' drought this year and is incorrect, what will happen to him?

 

Will he forfeit his salary? Will he lose his livelihood? Will he suffer any consequences whatsoever?

 

The damage done to the farmers if he is incorrect is obvious; the repercussions for him don't seem to be...

 

Hmm...

 

 

And if they are wrong, they will just say that conditions were drier than predictions.

 

Why not start with replacing the toilets that use about 3 gallons more per flush than necessary, which is the same over most of Asia.

18 minutes ago, wisperone said:

Why not start with replacing the toilets that use about 3 gallons more per flush than necessary, which is the same over most of Asia.

You have a flush toilet?

 

We installed low-flush loos, purely because Madam liked the style (nothing to do with water saving). They are ruddy useless, often needing two shots to clear even a small jobbie, goodbye water saving feature.

Widespread drought nailed on then.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“Weather forecasts show that the rainy season will start between May 20 and 25,”

But what happens tomorrow?? What a bunch of malarkey!

Predicting rain at the end of dry season beginning of rainy season. Wish I had that much foresight.

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

You have a flush toilet?

 

We installed low-flush loos, purely because Madam liked the style (nothing to do with water saving). They are ruddy useless, often needing two shots to clear even a small jobbie, goodbye water saving feature. 

I see wiki agrees with you about this:

"The early low-flush toilets in the U.S. often had a poor design that required more than one flush to rid the bowl of solid waste, resulting in more water used than a single flush of a standard toilet"

 

I always thought the dual flush was the better option. I remember the Duke Of Edinburgh 'passing' a comment on water wastage decades ago; "Pee a pint, waste a gallon."

 

source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-flush_toilet#Problems
 

1 minute ago, bluesofa said:

I always thought the dual flush was the better option.

 

I agree, but Madam wanted a lever not a push button flush, cannot argue with Madam. Silent enforced celebacy is not a nice thing

They are just trying to alleviate comments regarding the waste of water during Songkran.....

I predict there will be rain when the rainy season starts - like every year in May !!!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...Weather forecasts show that the rainy season will start between May 20 and 25,” ONWR secretary-general Somkiat Prajamwong said yesterday, dismissing widespread claims that Thailand will be hit with a long-drawn-out drought this year..."

 

I am curious...

 

If this official 'dismisses' the wide-spread claims that Thailand will be hit by a 'long-drawn out' drought this year and is incorrect, what will happen to him?

 

Will he forfeit his salary? Will he lose his livelihood? Will he suffer any consequences whatsoever?

 

The damage done to the farmers if he is incorrect is obvious; the repercussions for him don't seem to be...

 

Hmm...

 

 

The same that happened to Michael Fish in the UK when he famously said (30 years ago)... there will be no hurricane... partially correct but there was one hell of a storm!

This guy will just get laughed at the same as Michael did & go back to doing what they can only ever do... make predictions not promises!

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...Weather forecasts show that the rainy season will start between May 20 and 25,” ONWR secretary-general Somkiat Prajamwong said yesterday, dismissing widespread claims that Thailand will be hit with a long-drawn-out drought this year..."

 

I am curious...

If this official 'dismisses' the wide-spread claims that Thailand will be hit by a 'long-drawn out' drought this year and is incorrect, what will happen to him?

Will he forfeit his salary? Will he lose his livelihood? Will he suffer any consequences whatsoever?

The damage done to the farmers if he is incorrect is obvious; the repercussions for him don't seem to be...

Hmm..

If he's incorrect, he could blame 'low quality weather'.

If correct, he could put it down to consulting with the right fortune teller, and his social media status would increase dramatically. Well, among the gullible anyway.

1 hour ago, boonrawdcnx said:

I predict there will be rain when the rainy season starts - like every year in May !!!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I wouldn't be too sure about that, the times they are a' changing.

20 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

If he's incorrect, he could blame 'low quality weather'.

If correct, he could put it down to consulting with the right fortune teller, and his social media status would increase dramatically. Well, among the gullible anyway.

or blame the foreigners, works for most other things.

2 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

26 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

If he's incorrect, he could blame 'low quality weather'.

If correct, he could put it down to consulting with the right fortune teller, and his social media status would increase dramatically. Well, among the gullible anyway.

or blame the foreigners, works for most other things.

You mean we have foreign, imported weather here?

1 hour ago, boonrawdcnx said:

I predict there will be rain when the rainy season starts - like every year in May !!!

Where is this weather forecast for - Bangkok? the rains in the NE rains usually start in April - only if the Songran festival is successful off course ???? 

The South of Thailand, as it gets an extra monsoon compared to the rest of the country "should" have more than enough water year round, off course there will be exceptions where people are living where there is no infrastructure to support there lifestyle like Koh Samui.

Edited March 8, 20197 yr by CGW

...but if it does rain when he says.

 

He'll be hailed as a MF genius and promoted to some senior posting.

7 hours ago, neeray said:

"Agency dismisses fear of drought, predict rains from late May"

And don't be fooled by measurement and predictions based on facts which say that it will be another "El Nino" drought year.

8 hours ago, wisperone said:

And if they are wrong, they will just say that conditions were drier than predictions.

 

Why not start with replacing the toilets that use about 3 gallons more per flush than necessary, which is the same over most of Asia.

 

On using the toilet

 

For many years now I have been living by this statement

 

If it's yellow, let it mellow

If it's brown, flush it down

 

This will be the same next year as well, as La Nina and El Nino work on about an 8 to 10 year cycle. 

 

If anyone is interested I have added 2 Wikipedia links.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Niña

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Niño

I live in Khampaeng province Next to the Mae Wong national park. The weather centre is at KPP city.

 

In 2016 the annual rainfall was 1168.8 mm

2017 was 1863.9 mm

2018 was 1135.3 mm

2019 so far 29.2 mm

3 hours ago, bluesofa said:

If he's incorrect, he could blame 'low quality weather'.

 

Surely it would be "fake weather".

I am returning from a state visit to Dudley mid to end May this will coincide with the widespread rainfall rejoicings.

 

Now the above statements is about as much use as this guy checking his seaweed and waffling on about rain in May..although at least i have ticket booked 

A not for prophet agency ?

What this water 'diviner' says isn't what was broadcast on Thai TV news last week. The situation will be critical in the Phetchabun town area if there is no rainfall in the next 2 weeks, because the water level in Pa Dang reservoir is very low. This isn't the only reservoir in the province with critically low water levels. I fear the worst as the Thai Met office has already said we're in for one of the  driest hot seasons in memory.

8 hours ago, soalbundy said:

I wouldn't be too sure about that, the times they are a' changing.

"...the times they are a' changing."

It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall, in fact there'll be Buckets of rain this year.

Question is "Who'll stop the rain"?

5 hours ago, poohy said:

I am returning from a state visit to Dudley mid to end May this will coincide with the widespread rainfall rejoicings.

 

Now the above statements is about as much use as this guy checking his seaweed and waffling on about rain in May..although at least i have ticket booked 

Enjoy your visit with Dudley.....

15 hours ago, Crossy said:

You have a flush toilet?

 

We installed low-flush loos, purely because Madam liked the style (nothing to do with water saving). They are ruddy useless, often needing two shots to clear even a small jobbie, goodbye water saving feature.

Yes, I have one in my apartment, and one in my tenants apartment. Both work great. Never any issues. I don't believe we can even buy a toilet in the states that isn't low flow..max 1.6gpf.

I cringed every time I flushed the toilet in SEA with the amount of water that was wasted.

We'll see what happens when China shuts of the tap of water heading south when less snows in the Himalayas feed the rivers.

Countries can choose to be proactive, or reactive. Time will tell. Math calculations for this are easy... how many millions of flushes per day x gallons saved per flush.