Minister to seek at least Bt5 bn for water-bank project

[webfact]

Minister to seek at least Bt5 bn for water-bank project

By The Nation

 

 

 

 

Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao said he has discussed the option of building water banks in drought-hit areas with the Land Development Department.

 

He said he will initially propose a budget of Bt10 billion for the project, and if the Cabinet rejects his proposal, he will come up with another project worth Bt5 billion for future drought relief. 

 

“The water banks will require the punching of three holes that are deep enough to reach the aquifer. It’s like putting money in the bank. This water can be drawn when required. Thailand has heavy rains, but there is nothing in place to collect this water. This is why the water bank project is suitable,” he said. 

 

Praphat Phothasuthon, also a deputy agriculture minister, added that heavy rains brought by the tropical depression Wipha has relieved the drought situation in the North and Northeast. The dry season was expected to damage 1.2 million rai of rice fields in the country.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30374357

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-07

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[PatOngo]

Snouts, replenishing the swill in the trough!

[Misterwhisper]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

but there is nothing in place to collect this water

No, there is, Mr. Thammanat. It's called wells. Scores of businesses and private households have these. They normally only penetrate into the top unconfined aquifer layer (i.e. ground water level)... unless of course they are deep wells that punch through a confinement layer to reach an underlying aquifer. Some industrial plants have those, too, and their unregulated pumping of water from these deep water wells is one of the main reasons for land subsidence and why Bangkok is sinking.

 

How about improving water management above ground instead of wasting almost 150 million US$ on digging three wells?  

[Eric Loh]

Is the minister talking about a water bank (storage) or aquifer (groundwater). Don't think it is the same. An underground water bank will be useful to store excess storm water during the rainy season and to be used during drought. Aquifer is an underground layer of water wells. Am I right?