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[Lite Beer]

74% of groundwater well drilling completed, the rest expected to finish by end of Jul

BANGKOK, 18 July 2015 (NNT) - The government has completed more than 74% of the urgent maintenance and drilling of 891 groundwater wells nationwide. 660 wells have already been in use with nearly 230,000 cubic meters of water are pumped up everyday for agricultural purposes, according to Deputy Director-General of the Groundwater Resources Department Aranya Fuangswasdi.

Out of the wells already in use, 511 are located in fifteen drought-hit provinces in Chao Phraya River Basin covering the central region and the lower North of Thailand. Around 88% of the wells have helped revive rice plantations threatened by dry spell, with 197,593 cubic meters of water pumped up everyday. Another nineteen wells are under drilling process for the same purpose.

Apart from new wells, 380 existing groundwater wells are being installed with turbine pumping machines. Out of that number, 210 have completed the installation and have been pumping up 31,500 cubic meters of water per day.

Aranya said the maintenance and drilling process is scheduled for completion by the end of July. By that time, water supply for agriculture would increase to 350,000 cubic meters per day, helping restore 130,000-150,000 rai of farmland owned by 4,000 farmer families.

-- NNT 2015-07-18

[GiantFan]

Propaganda? Wells don't produce high volumes, unless you hit an aquifer. Then the folks downstream will be out of luck.

[worgeordie]

Just in time for the rainy season to start.

regards Worgeordie

[bangkokfrog]

Yes, there is an element of propaganda here. It sounds impressive until you realize that this is only a tiny proportion of the water usually released from the dams. The trouble with wells is that the water pumped up only supports farmers in a fairly small area... hence only 4,000 farmer families helped from the 900 holes in the ground (only 4 per well). I wonder how the lucky farmers are selected. Nevertheless, congratulations to those involved for trying to do something.

[djjamie]

Drilling water in Juba, South Sudan is a huge business.

Unfortunately too many wells ensure a reduction in the water table and no matter whether Thailand or South Sudan the laws of physics equates to the same thing.

A reduction in water. Such a shame.

If only Thailand used that 1.5 trillion baht they spent on rice schemes in water management instead.

BUT then that would not have bought votes.

[slapout]

some one may want to calcuate the average additional volume of water being produced from all of these wells drilled and in progross of drilling vs the amount of water required per rai of paddy and see how far it goes in increaseing rice production in Thailand

what method is used in lifting the water from wellbore to paddy, evaporation loss must be consereded in the volumes, etc, etc.

What is cost of drilling , plumbing and putting on line the wells , is there excess water in given areas, what utilization is made of it?

what is the cost of drilling/meter, plumbing said well and finally cost to get water to service for its intended purpose/use? who is ging to maintane, service, and monitor wells for breakdowns, leaks, fuel source/supply, cost of same, etc.

[djjamie]

Drilling aint cheap...

Well done on the govt for pushing this.

[impulse]

Gotta ask: Any of those wells under the collapsing highways?

[clockman]

Vietnam is building desalination plants. They are planning ahead! No planning ahead here.

[impulse]

Vietnam is building desalination plants. They are planning ahead! No planning ahead here.

With a kg of rice taking 2,400 liter of water to grow, desalination is okay for drinking water in dry climates, but not practical at all for agricultural water in monsoon alley.

Anyone in Vietnam claiming desalination puts them ahead of the curve for agriculture irrigation, will probably be rich and flee the country soon.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/10/how-much-water-food-production-waste

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

One cubic meter of water equals 1 mmm of irrigation per hectare. At an irrigation rate of 20 mm per day you can irrigate +- 11 500 hectare or +- 72 000 rai. There is +- 1 million rai under threat from the drought. The saying of a drop in the ocean comes to mind.

[impulse]

One cubic meter of water equals 1 mmm of irrigation per hectare. At an irrigation rate of 20 mm per day you can irrigate +- 11 500 hectare or +- 72 000 rai. There is +- 1 million rai under threat from the drought. The saying of a drop in the ocean comes to mind.

Is it really 20mm per day? I'm asking because I don't know, not doubting your numbers.

And how many days at that 20mm per day to bring a rice crop full circle?

It seems rice (like many crops) is cheap to grow if the water is already there, not so cheap if you have to catch the water (like terraced fields), a little more expensive if you actually have to move the water around (like from a nearby river), real expensive if you have to pump the water from a well and outrageously expensive if you have to make the water by desalinization.

Somewhere in there, there's an optimum point. I suspect the policies of the government encouraging rice export supremacy have gone to where they can't even look back and see that point.

My heart goes out to the farmers.

Edited July 19, 2015 by impulse

[mikemac]

Vietnam is building desalination plants. They are planning ahead! No planning ahead here.

Desalination plants are not without issues. They can plan ahead all they like but desal plants can come at a cost.

[wabothai]

Great strive but if only 4000 farmers are helped out with the 74% how many are not?

[fish fingers]

Bit late. Its a bit like when your beer has gone warm and the bar then gives you one of those polystyrene things to keep it cold.

[jackanapes]

I am glad something is being done to ease the plight of the farmers 74per cent that's very good hopefully the other 26 per cent will ensure the farmers get it right with their crops .

[Ulic]

Vietnam is building desalination plants. They are planning ahead! No planning ahead here.

A huge expense that cannot meet fresh water needs. The answer is a proper water management plan.

[Eddy B]

They did all the work where most of the rice growing does not get harvested. They have now drilled to take out water from underground which will cause subsidence, maybe not now but in time.............tick-tock 1 year. But they have not fixed the problem. They are just airbrushing it over. China has throttled the neck of the Mekong river but the Thai dare not complain. Then Thai-Laos want to also build dams down river from China............good luck with that plan. But every year there will be a Songkran where lots of f%&king water will be wasted just before the harvest. Thailand talks about their culture, then go back and do a festival that was how it was supposed to be done, not the pick up trucks and pater pistols and foam parties. See family show respect, pour water and get fed and drunk.

[impulse]

But every year there will be a Songkran where lots of f%&king water will be wasted just before the harvest. Thailand talks about their culture, then go back and do a festival that was how it was supposed to be done, not the pick up trucks and pater pistols and foam parties. See family show respect, pour water and get fed and drunk.

I'm not a fan of Sonkgran the way it's celebrated, but changing Songkran to conserve water would be like changing Christmas because the lights on the trees use too much electricity.

On average, Thailand uses 855 tons of water per capita in a year. Jeez, it takes 2.5 tons of water to grow 1 Kg of rice.

Even the most obnoxious Songkran drunk isn't using 1/2 of 1% of his allotment to piss us old fogeys off. Most use less water than it takes to grow a bowl of rice.

http://chartsbin.com/view/1455

So man up and admit it. You're a Grinch when it comes to Songkran. (So am I, BTW- I hole up in my dumpy apartment except for work and urgent errands) And if we want it to change (I don't, BTW- not within my rights), we have to come up with better reasons than wasting water.