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RID continues cloudseeding in the Northeast, Central Plains struggles with drought

BURIRAM, 24 July 2015 (NNT) – The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) will carry on with its rainmaking operations in the Northeast, despite the arrival of rainfalls. Meanwhile, farmers in drought-hit Central Plains are still grappling with the extended drought.

The RID explained that rainmaking operations must continue in the Northeast, as rainfall has yet to reach some areas. Water reserves in the upper Northeast are most abundant, with ample supplies in the central Northeast. However, the lower Northeast, where rice farming is most prevalent, remains parched. Irrigation and administrative officials have surveyed areas in need of precipitation to adjust cloudseeding operations.

Meanwhile, rice growers in the drought-hit Central region continue to hold out against severe drought. Some farmers in Kamphaeng Phet province have risked sowing their fields, although spotty rainfall occurred just a week ago. Others have opted for non-farming jobs for the time being.

In Nakhon Sawan province, a number of farmers are hastily diverting water from public sources to irrigate their paddies, after the provincial irrigation office decided to open sluice gates to help local agriculture. Kamphaeng Phet and Nakhon Sawan are among the four provinces in the Central region hardest hit by the dry season. The other two provinces are Phichit and Uthai Thani.

-- NNT 2015-07-24