Drought crisis to end in two months but department calls for judicious use of water

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

The Royal Irrigation Department expected the current drought crisis to end in two months but has sought cooperation from all sectors to consume water conservatively in order to maximise usage.

 

According to a report, as of February 24, there were 42.02 billion cubic metres of water reserved nationwide with 18 billion cubic metres for drinking, Thaweesak Thanadachophol, deputy director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, said on Friday.

 

Off-season agriculture is seeing 4.02 million rai being planted, which exceeds the expected plan by 42 per cent. Of the total, 440,000 rai have been harvested, mostly using other sources of natural water since the main river does not support agriculture.

 

The department has prepared mobile water pumps to help the drought-hit areas throughout the country, put in operation 1,935 machines. Water pumps were installed in various areas in 33 provinces.

 

At the same time, a total of 106 water trucks have been prepared to be sent to support areas hit by water shortage such as Loei (6 trucks), Chachoengsao (2 trucks), Chanthaburi (1 truck) and Rayong (4 trucks).

 

The director has asked all sectors to use water economically until the beginning of the coming rainy season.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30383010

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-28

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

What about all these wells and plans to alleviate drought they kept taking about?

 

...now the plan is "conserve water" with expectations that it will over in 2 months.

 

Clown shoes.

2 months my a****e

There's no appreciable rain til july here and there's no water now!

Two months ay.....will it be morning or afternoon?  I hate surprises so I would like to know. 

That's May then by my reckoning!

49 minutes ago, webfact said:

The director has asked all sectors to use water economically until the beginning of the coming rainy season.

So is he giving an early warning that Songkran will revert to it's traditional Buddhist roots where only a small amount of water is used?  I doubt it!!!

10 minutes ago, graemeaylward said:

That's May then by my reckoning!

So is he giving an early warning that Songkran will revert to it's traditional Buddhist roots where only a small amount of water is used?  I doubt it!!!

Yep.

The idiots will still be chucking it around as usual while a lot of people have none.

It didn't in 2019, f.ex. Maprachan in Pattaya got very little water in during the "rainy season" and is now near empty (it has a dead capacity which can't be pumped out). Wishful thinking.

 

https://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/show_sm_dam.php?lang=en#

 

 

Water at our house in south Pattaya has been on/off for a couple of weeks now.

22 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Yep.

The idiots will still be chucking it around as usual while a lot of people have none.

Sounds like your ready to enjoy the celebrations, Thai New year, welcome 2564 ????

There maybe 0.01% "idiots" chucking water, unless you are unfortunate & Celebrating in Pattaya, don't tar the whole population with the same brush, there isn't a lot of joy in many lives here, let them enjoy ???? 

Still plenty of water in some area's.

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Drought crisis to end in two months but department calls for judicious use of water

Ah, meaning the judiciary can authorise hi-so use only

What is the point of having water pumps ready when there is no water ??

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Drought crisis to end in two months but department calls for judicious use of water

Eliminate the festivities of Sonkran that have taken shameful forms as regards the waste of one of the most important resources in the world!
The way to celebrate Sonkran today has nothing to do with the Thai tradition!

The end of April will be a fantastic time for Thais: no more drought and no more coronavirus (according to the Tourism Minister anyway)????????????????

17 hours ago, DrTuner said:

It didn't in 2019, f.ex. Maprachan in Pattaya got very little water in during the "rainy season" and is now near empty (it has a dead capacity which can't be pumped out). Wishful thinking.

 

https://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/show_sm_dam.php?lang=en#

 

 

Water at our house in south Pattaya has been on/off for a couple of weeks now.

Had the same problem in Korat.. Water on/off for last few weeks..

Why in 2 months water problem will be fixed?? Divine intervention???

The way the World's weather is going, either be too much water, or none at all..

The poor farmers who have no water for their crops, watching Songkran must like starving people watching Chinese people in Thailand eating a buffet.

 

Wasteful.

19 hours ago, webfact said:

The Royal Irrigation Department expected the current drought crisis to end in two months but has sought cooperation from all sectors to consume water conservatively in order to maximise usage.

Until same time next year !

We had good rains during 2019. The dams were full. Is it a question of mismanagement or is it the Mekong being diverted away from the Thais? I am puzzled over this matter.

Edited February 29, 20206 yr by Magenta408
typo

This is a bit like analysts saying the SET will bottom out 15 points higher than it currently is, and growth will be 3% this year.

I'm with many others, what time and date, so I won't need to water the garden the evening prior.

7 hours ago, DLock said:

The poor farmers who have no water for their crops, watching Songkran must like starving people watching Chinese people in Thailand eating a buffet.

 

Wasteful.

I live in the middle of a farming area, no tourists, the farmers and their kids all enjoy the celebrations ????

Its the end of the dry season regardless, no crops are planted until the rains arrive, the Songkran festival, indeed encourages the rains ????

Western logic doesn't work here, if you consider it "wasteful" you have no conception of how much water is "wasted" it doesn't disappear never to be seen again you know! 

 

If ok in 2 months, why worry. No problem.

On 2/28/2020 at 3:50 PM, DLock said:

What about all these wells and plans to alleviate drought they kept taking about?

 

...now the plan is "conserve water" with expectations that it will over in 2 months.

 

Clown shoes.

We have a borehole in the village as a backup. The main supply died in December and the borehole ran dry by the end of January. 

 

Now my wife has to go to the big village tessaban and sign for 3 or 3 ongs full at a time. When her name gets to the top of the list the fire truck comes out with a delivery, then (no rinse, can't spare the water) and repeat.

 

We had a 5 minute shower of rain this evening, enough to wet the land and concrete. That was the 4th one since December.

 

IMHO there will be no relief of the drought until perhaps May or more probably June.

 

So I am afraid that Thaweesak Thanadachophol, deputy director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, said on Friday is talking buffalo excretia. A common trait from the ministers of this government who have no idea what they are doing or talking about.

Edited February 29, 20206 yr by billd766
edited for bad spelling after I had posted, again.

6 hours ago, Magenta408 said:

We had good rains during 2019. The dams were full. Is it a question of mismanagement or is it the Mekong being diverted away from the Thais? I am puzzled over this matter.

Not correct at all.

 

Look at these links to large and medium dams going back many years. Click on any dam name and a new link will open.

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/show_sm_dam.php?lang=en

 

 

On 2/28/2020 at 3:38 PM, webfact said:

The Royal Irrigation Department expected the current drought crisis to end in two months

At the end of April.  Wishful thinking and happy talk. 
No doubt the rains will arrive when the Covid-19 is eradicated by the Hot Season heat.  I love reading these announcements.

I put down a 40 mtr water bore Christmas Eave on our 5 rai farm block, so glad I did. Solar powered DC pump and things are not too bad. All up with a 2k ltr water tank and plumbing around 72 k baht. Songkran at my little farm should be a hoot. The locals will just have to help clean the veg for market.

My house is also on a bore pump and we still have water for the time being and I have the only green front lawn in the village. The village supply dried up four weeks ago and those that can afford it are paying 100 baht for a thousand ltrs delivered.