Thailand anti-drought plans in the pipeline

[webfact]

Anti-drought plans in the pipeline
The Nation


Amphawa Canal in Samut Songkhram province, which is home to a famous floating market, has seen unusually low water levels, as drought has hit several areas of the country. Local residents said water volume in the canal is much lower than in previous year

Farmers denied compensation for ruined crop; schools run dry

BANGKOK: -- AS THE drought crisis continues - school pupils go short of drinking water and farmers in various areas risk growing seasonal rice, despite a dim prospect they'll get water supplies any time soon.

Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula yesterday said Agriculture Minister Peetipong Phuengbun na Ayutthaya would propose measures to aid drought-affected farmers in a meeting of economic ministers tomorrow - although they would not receive a Bt1,000 per rai compensation money handout.

He also said the government's request for farmers to postpone their rice growing until July was only for the Chao Phraya River Basin and the two-month delay in income-earning would not entitle the farmers to compensation. He speculated that some might be helped with the production of crops that need less water.

Peetipong said he would table three measures for the Chao Phraya River Basin at tomorrow's meeting - if approved they would be presented at the Cabinet meeting in Chiang Mai on June 30.

The three measures are to provide water until the harvest for 3.4 million rai already under rice paddies; to promote alternative crops like corn on the newly-sown 600,000 rai rice fields; to encourage farmers whose two million rai was not yet sown to wait for rain to grow rice, or to go ahead with growing crops that use less water.

In Chaiyaphum, which was hit by the "worst drought in 30 years", the Chi River has run dry, while its 13 dams were holding water under 10 per cent of capacity. This water was now being saved for maintaining dam ridges and supplying tap water until the month's end.

Governor Wichien Chantharanothai has declared 13 out of the 16 districts, including Muang, Phu Khieo and Khon Sawan, as drought disaster zones.

About 388,600 rai of farmlands have been drought-damaged while 671 villages had no water for tap systems. Water trucks were being dispatched daily to at least 145 villages, but supply was still insufficient.

In Nakhon Ratchasima's Muang district, farmers in Tambon Polkrang were "dry sowing" in the hope of rainfall rather than letting this rice-growing season pass by. This was despite the Royal Irrigation Office 8's announcement to suspend water releasing to canals and urging farmers to postpone rice-growing indefinitely this year.

In the central province of Pathum Thani, farmers were told not to grow rice due to low water levels in dams, while those who had sown seeds a month ago were told to buy crop insurance from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives to lessen risks.

In Khon Kaen's drought-hit Muang district, it has been a decade since pupils of Ban Noen Kwao School in Tambon Don Han have had to take drinking water to classes.

"Some pupils, whose personal stock of water had run out, resorted to stealing from their friends. Teachers warned them to ask for the bottle owner's permission first," said Prathom 5 teacher Sutthisak Pholkham.

Pupils said they were used to carrying drinking bottles to school. "The day I forget to bring water or my stock runs out, I ask from my friends or endure thirst until going home," a student said.

The school depended on a village tap water system and a nearby canal - but their levels were decreasing each day and it urged related agencies for a water filter to refill its 10 empty water tanks.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Anti-drought-plans-in-the-pipeline-30262859.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-23

[clockman]

Pray!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fareastguy]

Something's in the "pipeline" but it ain't water !!!!

Just more hot air!!!

[Halion]

Typical Thai governmental response, a day late and a dollar short.

How long for this nation to realize that their leaders are short on capability and long on useless dialogue. They only raise their heads from their personal portfolios when the horse has already bolted. Total lack of national accountability.

[ratcatcher]

Pray!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pray!!!!!!!!!!!!uth?

[Estrada]

One problem was the Environmental lobby against the Yom River Dam. Had the dam been built there would have been sufficient water to provide dilution water for the down stream Chaophraya River.

[ratcatcher]

One problem was the Environmental lobby against the Yom River Dam. Had the dam been built there would have been sufficient water to provide dilution water for the down stream Chaophraya River.

A dam reservoir stores water. If there's no or insufficient rain, then the reservoirs merely dry up. The problem is lack of precipitation.

[Srikcir]

Never fear, the Junta is here.

The Royal Artificial Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department has the drought covered!

It had been advised to monitor the weather conditions. According to deputy government spokesman Maj General Sansern Kaewkamnerd,

"It will then be ready to launch a rain making operation to increase the water levels in the dams whenever needed."

“since March 1 [2015], more than 2,728 flights had been flown to try to enhance artificial rain (also known as cloud seeding) and over 92 per cent of flights were said to have caused rain.”

With leadership like this, Thailand has nothing to fear but fear itself.

[RustBucket]

Another problem is the amount of electricity generating when all these dams actually do run dry.

They will have to rotate on a load shedding basis and imported electricity is going to push up everyone's bills.

Here we have less than 20% water in the reservoir (Korat town)., The local water authority have already warned no more than 2 more months of water for the entire city center and this is Thailand's second biggest city.

I have been stocking up on drinking water for the past 2 months. People took the piss when I started doing it, now they are not laughing so loud

[thesetat2013]

Never fear, the Junta is here.

The Royal Artificial Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department has the drought covered!

It had been advised to monitor the weather conditions. According to deputy government spokesman Maj General Sansern Kaewkamnerd,

"It will then be ready to launch a rain making operation to increase the water levels in the dams whenever needed."

“since March 1 [2015], more than 2,728 flights had been flown to try to enhance artificial rain (also known as cloud seeding) and over 92 per cent of flights were said to have caused rain.”

With leadership like this, Thailand has nothing to fear but fear itself.

A machine? I thought they were going to rain dance to Buddha to get it to rain more?

[Robby nz]

And here's me thinking the country already had water management plans.

After all the PT Govt spent 120 billion on them and their cabinet approved another 350 billion to be spent. Wherever that went.

Or was that only managing water in a flood situation and they never considered the possibility of drought ?

[Remi080]

Typical Thai governmental response, a day late and a dollar short.

How long for this nation to realize that their leaders are short on capability and long on useless dialogue. They only raise their heads from their personal portfolios when the horse has already bolted. Total lack of national accountability.

Seems your a good canidate to solve all these problems, you know it much better than them.

[avocadowangnamkeouw]

A matter of priorities.

You order a High Speed Railway you will pay with Rice instead of investing in waterworks and pipelines to connect the

water reservoirs to ensure you have enough water to grow any.

[halloween]

Never fear, the Junta is here.

The Royal Artificial Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department has the drought covered!

It had been advised to monitor the weather conditions. According to deputy government spokesman Maj General Sansern Kaewkamnerd,

"It will then be ready to launch a rain making operation to increase the water levels in the dams whenever needed."

“since March 1 [2015], more than 2,728 flights had been flown to try to enhance artificial rain (also known as cloud seeding) and over 92 per cent of flights were said to have caused rain.”

With leadership like this, Thailand has nothing to fear but fear itself.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/GD06Ae02.html

After you read the link, you might consider whose party has been in power for nearly all the 10 years since the last drought, and what they have achieved in anti-drought measures.

You might also consider who conceived and supported Thailand's rain-making activities, its levels and success, and its use by other countries.And no, it isn't Thaksin.

Edited June 23, 2015 by halloween

[halloween]

One problem was the Environmental lobby against the Yom River Dam. Had the dam been built there would have been sufficient water to provide dilution water for the down stream Chaophraya River.

A dam reservoir stores water. If there's no or insufficient rain, then the reservoirs merely dry up. The problem is lack of precipitation.

Yes, they will dry up, eventually. Which is better than no water today.

[elgordo38]

Typical Thai governmental response, a day late and a dollar short.

How long for this nation to realize that their leaders are short on capability and long on useless dialogue. They only raise their heads from their personal portfolios when the horse has already bolted. Total lack of national accountability.

We live in a "every man for himself" world. Love your post right on the money. I love to hear from time to time about the honest poor taxi drivers who make every effort to return money or goods left behind in their taxi's. Honesty seems to be a more fitting mantel among the poor than the rich.

[h90]

One problem was the Environmental lobby against the Yom River Dam. Had the dam been built there would have been sufficient water to provide dilution water for the down stream Chaophraya River.

A dam reservoir stores water. If there's no or insufficient rain, then the reservoirs merely dry up. The problem is lack of precipitation.

But you can collect the water in the raining season where as the name says is sufficient rain and use it in the dry season.

[Mojomor]

One problem was the Environmental lobby against the Yom River Dam. Had the dam been built there would have been sufficient water to provide dilution water for the down stream Chaophraya River.

A dam reservoir stores water. If there's no or insufficient rain, then the reservoirs merely dry up. The problem is lack of precipitation.

But you can collect the water in the raining season where as the name says is sufficient rain and use it in the dry season.

While you are all partially correct,the real problem is that Thailand only traps less than 20% of annual rainfall. Given that 50% of annual rainfall arrives in 3 months of the rainy season, there is almost bound to be a drought at some locations in the country. They probably need to double existing dam capacity.

[mike324]

they didn't even get done with the anti-flood plan yet....ironic

[canopy]

I have to wonder if all the ramp up in cloud seeding may be to blame for the increasing droughts. At least in my area in the North rainy seasons have become progressively shorter, rains smaller, and less frequent. Meddling with mother nature is never a good thing. They need to ground the cloud seeding program pending a credible environmental impact study.