Canals to be dredged in Isaan to ease impact of looming drought

[webfact]

Canals to be dredged in Northeast to ease impact of looming drought
Wasu Vipoosanapat
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- IN A BID to ease the Northeast's drought woes, the government is going to spend Bt997 million on canal-dredging projects.

The programme will start next month and run until March next |year.

Jatuporn Buruphat, director-general of the Water Resources Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, told a press conference the ministry would join forces with the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute to implement these projects.

"This year, the average rainfall marks the lowest in 30 years," he said.

The Northeast is usually the region with the biggest drought risks. When the rainfall is particularly low, the threat of water shortages in the region is thus particularly high.

In fact, at present some 6,000 areas are already struggling with water shortages around the country. Nearly half - 2,846 - are in the Northeast.

The canal-dredging projects cover 13 northeastern provinces. Of them, Surin province has the highest number of projects at 25, followed by Nakhon Ratchasima with 14, and Khon Kaen with 13 projects. Funding for the projects in these provinces is Bt251 million, Bt138 million, and Bt143 million respectively.

Jatuporn said big cities in Isaan such as Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima were also at risk of water shortage.

Meanwhile, southern provinces face the risk of flash floods after downpours over recent weeks. Jatuporn warned that floods might hit Ranong and Chumphon in the near future.

"We have seen signs of floods. Locals should be on alert," he said.

Several other southern provinces were already under flood water as of press time.

In Krabi province, floods had engulfed more than 100 rai (16 hectares) of farmland and local officials were busy delivering help to flood victims.

In Satun province, several schools were closed in the face of raging flood waters.

In Phatthalung province, tourists were warned not to enter the water at waterfall attractions because of the risk of flash floods.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Canals-to-be-dredged-in-Northeast-to-ease-impact-o-30244988.html

-- The Nation 2014-10-08

[wackybacky]

In Korat we are already into the dry season and have been for about a week. It has even been getting cooler at night, a sure sign of the end of the rainy season that never actually got started here.

The biggest reservoir in the province normally will add 50% of its capacity during the monsoons and that will supply all the water for the dry season, but this year it has gone up by only 3%.

That is how bad it is here.

I am expecting one day to turn the tap on and nothing is going to come out.

[kamahele]

In Korat we are already into the dry season and have been for about a week. It has even been getting cooler at night, a sure sign of the end of the rainy season that never actually got started here.

The biggest reservoir in the province normally will add 50% of its capacity during the monsoons and that will supply all the water for the dry season, but this year it has gone up by only 3%.

That is how bad it is here.

I am expecting one day to turn the tap on and nothing is going to come out.

We live about 20 km from Korat in the countryside and frequently have no water anyway without explanation. Looks like things will be much worse this coming year as next rainy season is supposed to be even drier. However, my in laws still collect rain water in the old jugs outside so we have an ample supply for the house but not for the plants.

[thaiguzzi]

Spend 997 mil? Jesus, there's a few politicians and civil servants gonna get rich off this idea. Farmers and normal householders - Jack Sh#it.

[DILLIGAD]

Spend 997 mil? Jesus, there's a few politicians and civil servants gonna get rich off this idea. Farmers and normal householders - Jack Sh#it.

My first thoughts too. Bit like the waiter thin road improvement schemes.

[khwaibah]

A serious typical Thai political scam. The farmers get nothing.

[willyumiii]

In Korat we are already into the dry season and have been for about a week. It has even been getting cooler at night, a sure sign of the end of the rainy season that never actually got started here.

The biggest reservoir in the province normally will add 50% of its capacity during the monsoons and that will supply all the water for the dry season, but this year it has gone up by only 3%.

That is how bad it is here.

I am expecting one day to turn the tap on and nothing is going to come out.

This is not the first time I have heard how dry it has been in Korat this year.

Weather trends here are very interesting.

I live not to far south of Korat in the Chokchai area and almost every afternoon we get so much rain that there is standing water a few inches deep in my yard.

To be so close and have such different weather seems strange to me.

Even stranger to me is why Thailand has not developed a better system of reservoirs and flood control.

Every year I have lived here there has been flooding followed by drought!

Flood control channels that deliver flood water to reservoirs would control flooding and save water to be used in times of drought.

It seems like a simple solution and a very good investment in country where farming is so important to the well being of the population.

Can anyone give me a practical reason a program like this has never been implemented?

Yes, I know there are some reservoirs in the area, but obviously not enough.

Often flooding in this area is caused by the release of water from the already full reservoirs in anticipation of heavy rains.

Anyone more knowledgeable than me have some input ?

[willyumiii]

In Korat we are already into the dry season and have been for about a week. It has even been getting cooler at night, a sure sign of the end of the rainy season that never actually got started here.

The biggest reservoir in the province normally will add 50% of its capacity during the monsoons and that will supply all the water for the dry season, but this year it has gone up by only 3%.

That is how bad it is here.

I am expecting one day to turn the tap on and nothing is going to come out.

This is not the first time I have heard how dry it has been in Korat this year.

Weather trends here are very interesting.

I live not to far south of Korat in the Chokchai area and almost every afternoon we get so much rain that there is standing water a few inches deep in my yard.

To be so close and have such different weather seems strange to me.

Even stranger to me is why Thailand has not developed a better system of reservoirs and flood control.

Every year I have lived here there has been flooding followed by drought!

Flood control channels that deliver flood water to reservoirs would control flooding and save water to be used in times of drought.

It seems like a simple solution and a very good investment in country where farming is so important to the well being of the population.

Can anyone give me a practical reason a program like this has never been implemented?

Yes, I know there are some reservoirs in the area, but obviously not enough.

Often flooding in this area is caused by the release of water from the already full reservoirs in anticipation of heavy rains.

Anyone more knowledgeable than me have some input ?

[Strangebrew]

Is it me or them drought Right meaning no water or little water so your going to dredge the canals that have no water to make for more room no water to go nowhere? One would think you would dredge canals to allow water to flow better in case of heavy rains. Now what I would do when out of rainy season I would dredge river and canals to enhance water flow and reduce chances of flooding during rainy season. Also I would clear out as many water plants and use them as mulch for farm lands.

[GinBoy2]

Is it me or them drought Right meaning no water or little water so your going to dredge the canals that have no water to make for more room no water to go nowhere? One would think you would dredge canals to allow water to flow better in case of heavy rains. Now what I would do when out of rainy season I would dredge river and canals to enhance water flow and reduce chances of flooding during rainy season. Also I would clear out as many water plants and use them as mulch for farm lands.

I was thinking this as well. Dredge canals for what water? In a drought, maybe I'm missing something but isn't this pointless?? Now if the point was to get ready for the next floods, well thats different, but thats not what's being said

[KaronSteve]

Is it me or them drought Right meaning no water or little water so your going to dredge the canals that have no water to make for more room no water to go nowhere? One would think you would dredge canals to allow water to flow better in case of heavy rains. Now what I would do when out of rainy season I would dredge river and canals to enhance water flow and reduce chances of flooding during rainy season. Also I would clear out as many water plants and use them as mulch for farm lands.

That was immediate thought but maybe the canals are feeding the reservoirs?

I have never heard of barges being used to transport goods which is the usual reason for canals.

[loongdavid]

Irrigation ditches and small canals the like of which criss cross Isaan appear to only ever be serviced or maintained when some remedial work needs to be carried out. No thought whatsoever seems to be given to flood mitigation or a more reliant water supply. Recent flooding in Ubon Ratchathani province saw thousands of rai of rice badly damaged with no mitigation work in sight. With the onset of the dry season I await with eager anticipation the first Amphur workers to clean out and deepen the drains

Allied to this, I am constantly amazed at the noticeable lack of water harvesting carried out both at the domestic level and by industry. Although thoroughly biased in this matter I have to say that Thailand could do well to learn from, and hopefully engage with, Australia, the driest continent on earth. Australian industry produce a range of extremely large tanks (all made from recycled plastic bottles) able to supply the domestic needs of a large family for twelve months or more without rain.

Furthermore, it is extremely rare to see guttering on houses in Thailand, and if one does find a dwelling that has guttering they are usually constructed to fill large earthenware pots. If one can find such an item, try purchasing a PVC or stainless steel tank greater than 5000 litres. Having experienced living with two 25,000 litre PVC tanks totally dependant upon rainfall, it was common to have to rely on tanked water for several months at a time.

I also notice that when bores are sunk in Isaan rarely do they go deeper than 40 metres - why, I'm not sure as most of Isaan sits on a magnificent aquifer that can easily cater for all current contingencies and when drilled below 50 metres one finds good quality drinking water.

[wackybacky]

In Korat we are already into the dry season and have been for about a week. It has even been getting cooler at night, a sure sign of the end of the rainy season that never actually got started here.

The biggest reservoir in the province normally will add 50% of its capacity during the monsoons and that will supply all the water for the dry season, but this year it has gone up by only 3%.

That is how bad it is here.

I am expecting one day to turn the tap on and nothing is going to come out.

This is not the first time I have heard how dry it has been in Korat this year.

Weather trends here are very interesting.

I live not to far south of Korat in the Chokchai area and almost every afternoon we get so much rain that there is standing water a few inches deep in my yard.

To be so close and have such different weather seems strange to me.

Even stranger to me is why Thailand has not developed a better system of reservoirs and flood control.

Every year I have lived here there has been flooding followed by drought!

Flood control channels that deliver flood water to reservoirs would control flooding and save water to be used in times of drought.

It seems like a simple solution and a very good investment in country where farming is so important to the well being of the population.

Can anyone give me a practical reason a program like this has never been implemented?

Yes, I know there are some reservoirs in the area, but obviously not enough.

Often flooding in this area is caused by the release of water from the already full reservoirs in anticipation of heavy rains.

Anyone more knowledgeable than me have some input ?

Funnily enough I was in the ChokChai area (immigration) about 6 weeks ago and it took me hours to do the normally 30 minute drive back to JoHo because we were hit by a really heavy rainfall and the main road into town was heavily flooded in many areas.

But when we got back to JoHo it was bone dry as it was also dry in town.

Many times my wife tells me it is raining hard in town but nothing in JoHo and in this area it has been like a desert.

I have 12 rai in Nunthai about 40km from the house and every year it totally floods (great rice land) but this year is dry and the klong that runs along side it is normally overflowing at this time of year, but yesterday the water level is about 6M below normal and is a mere trickle in the bottom.

Lamtakong dam is at 41.75 capacity today, and at this time of year it is normally at 90% + The lowest point this year was at 38% and 22% is unusable (sludge). So now we have only 19.75% of usable water available to last a very long time.

http://www.lamtakong.com/images/stories/2014_water_data/01.pic_dam_sector2014/10.p_october2014/p_2014-10-09.pdf

The central plains get most of their water from upstream north and northeast in the form of runoff, but this year there is not going to be much flowing down south. I believe that the huge reservoirs at Bluhmbol etc are critically low as well.

Regarding your question about how rain systems work and how weather can be totally different in close proximity to an area differently affected. Weather systems are influenced by the topography of the land and they tend to meander with that topography meaning rain will move in certain channels as it is pushed around by air currents that move in a certain way across the land.

Just to the south of my house there is a channel that pushes rain clouds regularly in a uniform direction. I can sit outside my house and see this channel of rain clouds on a daily basis dropping rain on the town, yet never on my own house, and it is a matter of no more than 1 to 2KM away.

The main river coming through town is just below the bridges of Mittrapap Road at this time of year, but at the moment it's barely a puddle some 8M down.

Edited October 9, 2014 by wackybacky

[Gonsalviz]

My section of Isan got plenty of rain. All irrigation ponds and rice fields are full to overflow. We only get 1 crop of rice which has been planted. Most of the reserviors will be used for Veggie farming.

[Issangeorge]

I just drove up to our main reservoir yesterday. It wasn't at the spill way level, but very close, and it is raining today, unusual for this time of year. We should have more than enough water to get us through to next raining season, if there is one.