Severe Drought In South And North-east Thailand

[george]

Severe drought in southern and north-eastern Thailand

SATUN: -- Many provinces in southern and north-eastern Thailand are currently facing their severest drought in many decades.

The water level in several key rivers and reservoirs in the southern province of Satun is the lowest ever in years.

Fruits, like rambutan and longan, have been badly affected by the serious water shortage.

Fruit trees in more than 500 rai have been totally damaged.

The provincial authorities have distributed more than seven million litres of clean water to villagers in the province's five districts worst hit by the drought.

In the upper southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, provincial irrigation officials have turned the water off in many key canals because of the rapid fall of the water level in the Pranburi Dam.

The water in the dam has fallen dramatically untill now there is only 30% left – insufficient for agricultural use, the province’s chief irrigation official, Theppong Threenate, told TNA.

However, fresh water is still being made available for the tap water system in Hua Hin, a renowned beach resort in the province.

Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Sam Roy Yod National Park’s water area, Bueng Bau, has also been severely hit by the drought.

Local and migrating birds cannot lay eggs and raise their off-spring over the parched lake because the lack of food.

In the country's north-eastern province of Nong Bua Lam Phu, its main water source, Lam Nam Pong, is now at the lowest level in 30 years, and the province's tap water is low quality because black top soil at the key reservoir has been sucked into the system.

More than 500 rai of land planted with soy bean has been destroyed by the water shortage, according to the mayor of Chom Thong Sub-district, Samrong Mongputthi.

The mayor has asked the provincial authorities to provide a million baht to build three reservoirs to save water from the Lam Nam Pong to ease water shortages among local villagers.

--TNA 2005-02-15

[sajal]

Severe drought in southern and north-eastern Thailand

SATUN: --  Many provinces in southern and north-eastern Thailand are currently facing their severest drought in many decades.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i am at south thailand right now and am aware of the drought....i am here for a week and it hasnt rained!!!! really strange.

normally the rubber trees start getting their new leaves by now.

anyways. today was very windy and saw some dark clouds could be seen and I am sure the some rains could be expected this week here.

[Diggerbasher]

Never seen the ponds and reservoirs so low and we still have two months before the rains.Cannot believe that a few months ago we were worrying about flooding.Storage seems to be the solution.

[sajal]

Never seen the ponds and reservoirs so low and we still have two months before the rains.Cannot believe that a few months ago we were worrying about flooding.Storage seems to be the solution.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and it rained breifly at hatyai last night....

i guess in 2003 hat yai suffered seviere floods partly due to a particular canal....

not that there is drought, they are using this oppurtunity to make the canal paved and reconstruct the bridge so that this year the water can flow freely....

so u see the pervious flood tought them something and they are using the drought to prepare for the next flood... very unlikely from where i come from. ;-)