Lampang villagers back building of reservoirs

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Lampang villagers back building of reservoirs
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Lampang villagers have agreed to back the government's plan to build three reservoirs in the province under the government's Bt350-billion water and flood management scheme.

Over 3,000 villagers yesterday attended the public forum held at Lampang Rajabhat University to discuss the impact of the three reservoirs. They demanded that the government push forward with its plans for their construction, arguing that the three projects would help resolve flood and drought problems, which had plagued the province in the past several years. The projects include Mae Teep reservoir, Mae On reservoir in Ngao district, and Huay Pong Phak reservoir in Thoen district.

Tambon Mae On's subdistrict headman Chalong Sirimangkalakul said plans to construct the reservoirs had been shelved for the past 20 years, but it was now time for their construction to go ahead. He estimated that more than 10,000 rai of agricultural land would benefit from the scheme.

"People will no longer need to look elsewhere to make a living if these three reservoirs are built," he said.

Phillip Surinwong, a villager from Ban Mae On, said he agreed with the government's proposed plan for the reservoirs, as villagers would be able to irrigate their land, thus ensuring the future of the region's agricultural industry.

He added that he was not worried about the impact of the reservoirs on the environment, as each project was located in an area of degraded forest.

Another villager, Ple Wongkheow, from Thoen district, said he also agreed with the government's proposal to construct the reservoirs, but he wanted the government to give him the exact locations.

Puan Yotsok, a villager from Thoen district, said he wanted the government to come up with measures to compensate villagers directly affected by the construction.

According to observations made by The Nation's reporters, a number of villagers faced problems related to the public forum's registration process, with the names of some failing to indicate that they were participating in the forum.

A number of villagers also registered to attend the forum, even though they were not directly affected by the reservoirs, so that they could collect the Bt400 travel allowance provided to them.

Meanwhile, villagers who attended a public forum in Uthai Thani province were divided on whether the proposed reservoir project in their region should go ahead.


-- The Nation 2013-11-02

[Bkungbank]

It's good for farmers and residents who face future flood in that area but must have done environment assessment impact on wildlife ,flora and fauna.

[stuartd1]

Back to the same old question, what has priority, humans or the envirnment.

[Robby nz]

A number of villagers also registered to attend the forum, even though they were not directly affected by the reservoirs, so that they could collect the Bt400 travel allowance provided to them.

So they were paid 400B to attend, no wonder they had a good turnout.

They want irrigation so they can grow more than one rice crop a year to sell to the Govt to help build up the stockpile.

How many were from red villages?

[davejones]

It's good for farmers and residents who face future flood in that area but must have done environment assessment impact on wildlife ,flora and fauna.

People need to come before wildlife, flora and fauna. Would you want to be flooded every year to save a few flowers?

[Robby nz]

It would seem they were not even told where these reservoirs will be.

Another villager, Ple Wongkheow, from Thoen district, said he also agreed with the government's proposal to construct the reservoirs, but he wanted the government to give him the exact locations.

[Eyjafjallajokull]

It's good for farmers and residents who face future flood in that area but must have done environment assessment impact on wildlife ,flora and fauna.

People need to come before wildlife, flora and fauna. Would you want to be flooded every year to save a few flowers?

The reason why droughts and floods ravage most of Thailand is due to lack of wildlife, flora and fauna. Thailand in whole is a ecological disaster; the environment is seriously imbalanced due to human encroachment and destruction, from sea level to highest mountaintops.

[Robby nz]

Lets take a closer look at this consultation process in Lampang.

We are now no longer talking about dams but reservoirs, much more acceptable?

They had 3,000 people at the meeting from a provincial population of 58,000, each were paid 400 B to attend.

A number of villagers also registered to attend the forum, even though they were not directly affected by the reservoirs, so that they could collect the Bt400 travel allowance provided to them.

A number (unspecified) were there were only there to collect the400 B and would not be affected by the 'not dams'.

They had not been told the exact location of the 'not dams'.

Another villager, Ple Wongkheow, from Thoen district, said he also agreed with the government's proposal to construct the reservoirs, but he wanted the government to give him the exact locations.

But the environment doesn't matter because the 'not dams' would be in areas of degraded forest, whatever that means. Probably that all the valuable timber has already been stolen.

He added that he was not worried about the impact of the reservoirs on the environment, as each project was located in an area of degraded forest.

If they haven't been told the exact locations how does he know that?

So lets recap :

3,000 people some of whom will not be affected. were each paid 400 B to attend that's 1.200.000 plus the costs of putting on the show lets say a round number of 2 million.

It was agreed that it would be good for the farmers so they can get more rice crops to sell to the pledging scheme, there are other crops that would also benefit but rice is the main user of water.

They were not told exactly where these reservoirs will be so therefor the people don't know exactly who or what will be affected by their construction.

That being the case it is unlikely that the people who live in the 'exact area' know that they will be affected, it is also unlikely that those people were at the meeting.

The Govt will now no doubt say 'we have consulted with the people of Lampang and they agree we should go ahead with this work'.

The main question I want to ask is : Will this now take the place of any environmental and health impact assessments as required by law ?

Don't get me wrong I am not against flood protection or irrigation work but what I am against are badly thought out schemes and the maneuvering to get around the proper process of doing things.

I also know the value of forests to the environment and hate to see them destroyed needlessly.

[Robby nz]

It would seem that the Govt has done the same trick again this time with the Mae Wong dam proposal.

They have held a meeting where most of those present were from Lat Yao which is along a downstream section of the river well away from the dam site.

It would seem that there were very few, if any of those who marched in protest to the dam at the meeting.

It was apparently explained to those downstream people how beneficial it would be for them to stop flooding and give them year round irrigation.

Of course the Govt got the approval it wanted.

The report I read said nothing about a payment as per Lampang but I expect that goes without saying.

It would seem they are on course to go through the same thing at the next meeting in Phrae where it is speculated they will pack the meeting with supporters.

[ratcatcher]

It would seem that the Govt has done the same trick again this time with the Mae Wong dam proposal.

They have held a meeting where most of those present were from Lat Yao which is along a downstream section of the river well away from the dam site.

It would seem that there were very few, if any of those who marched in protest to the dam at the meeting.

It was apparently explained to those downstream people how beneficial it would be for them to stop flooding and give them year round irrigation.

Of course the Govt got the approval it wanted.

The report I read said nothing about a payment as per Lampang but I expect that goes without saying.

It would seem they are on course to go through the same thing at the next meeting in Phrae where it is speculated they will pack the meeting with supporters.

Both your posts excellent.