Thai DWR excavates 3,000 ponds as rainwater storage

[webfact]

DWR excavates 3,000 ponds as rainwater storage

BANGKOK, 20 July 2015 (NNT) – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has completed the excavation of ponds and natural water sources in 3,095 projects for the storage of rainwater, and checked up on excavation sites done by private companies.

The DWR Director-General Jatuporn Buruspat has revealed that the department has completed the excavation of ponds and natural water sources in 3,095 projects, approximately 75 percent of all projects planned by the DWR. These projects will be utilized as rainwater storages for further use.

He has said that 2,214 villages in 60 districts of 17 provinces have continuously experienced the drought crisis for the past 5 years, while the lack of raw water to feed the tap water production during the drought has also caused widespread concern. The DWR has come up with the solution by creating water shortcuts to the Sum Lae water pump in Pathum Thani, with more measures considered to facilitate the production of tap water from the Klong Maha Sawat water pump.

The DWR Director-General has added that the department has inspected the ground pond excavation projects done by private companies with the initial outcomes from Nakhon Ratchasima Province, where the department recorded 500 rais of pond from the total 5,000 rais of land.


-- NNT 2015-07-20

[Srikcir]

I'm not sure that exposing the water table by making ponds really increases the water supply. If the water table is naturally replenished by rainfall and/or upstream ground migration, digging ponds becomes more of an asthetic feature. Good for PR but not much else.

Capturing rainwater WHERE IT ISN'T NEEDED and transportating it to WHERE IT'S NEEDED makes more sense. But that involves detailed data application of science and a comprehensive agricultural plan that can't be done overnight. And the Junta needs more PR than it needs long term results.

[halloween]

I'm not sure that exposing the water table by making ponds really increases the water supply. If the water table is naturally replenished by rainfall and/or upstream ground migration, digging ponds becomes more of an asthetic feature. Good for PR but not much else.

Capturing rainwater WHERE IT ISN'T NEEDED and transportating it to WHERE IT'S NEEDED makes more sense. But that involves detailed data application of science and a comprehensive agricultural plan that can't be done overnight. And the Junta needs more PR than it needs long term results.

Working on the basic assumption that Thais are too stupid to seal their catchment ponds, and are just digging holes in the ground.

[billd766]

I'm not sure that exposing the water table by making ponds really increases the water supply. If the water table is naturally replenished by rainfall and/or upstream ground migration, digging ponds becomes more of an asthetic feature. Good for PR but not much else.

Capturing rainwater WHERE IT ISN'T NEEDED and transportating it to WHERE IT'S NEEDED makes more sense. But that involves detailed data application of science and a comprehensive agricultural plan that can't be done overnight. And the Junta needs more PR than it needs long term results.

Working on the basic assumption that Thais are too stupid to seal their catchment ponds, and are just digging holes in the ground.

What will be required to seal a pond of about 2 1/2 rai in surface area and 5 to 5 metres deep? That is the size of jut one pond in the village which at the moment they are digging out and deepening.

My fishpond never filled up completely last year and was as dry as a bone by mid January. That one is about 45 x 13 metres in area with an average depth of just over 2 metres.