PM Prayut orders construction of more 'monkey cheek' water storages

[webfact]

PM orders construction of more “monkey cheek” water storages to ease drought



BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday ordered the construction of more ‘kaem ling’ or monkey cheeks (water storage canals) and ‘kanom krok’ (indented pans) to enable greater amounts of water to be stored in reserve to ease water shortage in the future.

In addition, he tasked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to develop a number of denuded mountains in the northern provinces as water detention reservoirs.

He cautioned that he will be making unscheduled visits to check on the progress of these plans.

His order came after he made a field trip to personally check on the water situation at Khun Darn Prakarnchon and Pasak Cholasit dams in Nakhon Nayok and Saraburi provinces.

The visit reassured the PM as the Khun Darn Prachakorn Dam has been replenished by surrounding water resources and shows signs of returning to its normal state.

As for the Pasak Cholasit dam, its supplies has been replenished by the recent rains which at present is flowing in at rate of 2 million cubic meters daily of which 1 million cubic meters are drained of daily.

Gen Prayut noted that the construction of ‘kaem ling’ projects downstream will enable even higher water detention in the area, possibly up to as much as 46 million cubic meter which could comfortably irrigate 100,000 rai (40,000 acre) of agricultural farm lands.

He stated that the country’s main water sources in the northern parts of the country are being drastically threatened as a result of widespread deforestation.

Current estimates put the number at no less than 8.6 million rai (3.44 million acres) having been deforested.

Furthermore, even though the government has reclaimed a great amount of trespassed lands, much of these lands are severely dilapidated and unable to retain water.

He then said the only way to counteract was to construct ‘kaem ling’ and ‘khanom krok’ projects to help store rain water as existing water rationing measures have proven ineffective to provide needed supplies for agriculture, domestic consumption, industry and critically, to stem salt water flows.

He then tasked the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment to discover ways to develop denuded mountains into water storage facilities.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-orders-construction-of-more-monkey-cheek-water-storages-to-ease-drought

-- Thai PBS 2015-08-06

[Peabody]

Didn't they fill-in one of these water retention/holding constructs a couple of years ago, in order to construct some new sports arena?

[ChrisY1]

None of the people in the pic with the general are taking notes.......!!...

[NickJ]

They dont have to take notes its raining again.

[Eric Loh]

Would have thought that the good general should have order more monkey cheeks last year when they have information of El Nino drought this year. Maybe he didn't notice that the rain now as he is busy and no one would have the nerve to tell him.

[deckape]

He has so, so many good ideas.

[phoenixdoglover]

None of the people in the pic with the general are taking notes.......!!...

I noticed that as well.

The PM needs to get his minions properly focused.

After all, he has proven to be an expert on all matters of national importance, including how to store water.

[phoenixdoglover]

The last sentence...

He then tasked the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment to discover ways to develop denuded mountains into water storage facilities.

Oh, don't leave us hanging like that! I detect a uniquely Thai Brainstorm coming on.

[MaxiJaz]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the forests were "nuded" - deforested back in the 60's and 70's by the same people asking for them to be "denuded"

[magnacarta]

None of the people in the pic with the general are taking notes.......!!...

Do you mean currency notes?

[rubl]

Would have thought that the good general should have order more monkey cheeks last year when they have information of El Nino drought this year. Maybe he didn't notice that the rain now as he is busy and no one would have the nerve to tell him.

Absolutely! It's not as if last year around this time General Prayut had anything else to do.

Apart from forming a government, cleaning up after the former not-so-caretaking government, etc., etc. Mind you, last year lots of comments whenever the general did something.

Oh by the way the 'El Niño' is a periodic, warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Sometimes a minor affair, sometimes intensifying. Of course PM Prayut should have done something last year before he was PM as in July and August this year came the warnings already.

2015-07-17

"El Niño is intensifying much earlier than usual this summer and may become the strongest on record in the modern era later this year. That may play a significant role in your weather through the winter and spring."

http://www.weather.com/news/climate/news/el-nino-forecast-record-strongest-2015-2016#/!

2015-08-04

"Should that forecast be realised, it would be the biggest anomaly since 1997, surpassing the top recordings associated with the El Ninos of 2002 and 2009, data from the BOM shows."

https://in.news.yahoo.com/el-nino-emerged-expected-strengthen-australian-weather-bureau-071304905--sector.html

[neal david]

great photo of the p.m .... it kind of reminds me of the pose with the hands ...that Tommy Cooper use to use and say .its going to happen ... just like that ..... ...

[Srikcir]

"existing water rationing measures have proven ineffective"

Maybe if it were made MANDATORY and ENFORCEABLE it would have been effective.

That would be part of WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

But that might upset city people and lose their happiness.

Much simpler and politically safer to drill wells and make monkey creeks.

[timendres]

great photo of the p.m .... it kind of reminds me of the pose with the hands ...that Tommy Cooper use to use and say .its going to happen ... just like that ..... ...

He is divining. Shortly after the photo, 50M liters of ground water was discovered directly beneath his palms.

[rubl]

"existing water rationing measures have proven ineffective"

Maybe if it were made MANDATORY and ENFORCEABLE it would have been effective.

That would be part of WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

But that might upset city people and lose their happiness.

Much simpler and politically safer to drill wells and make monkey creeks.

Absolutely! Here the PM is just continuing the policy of his predecessor. Mind you, posters here tended to praise her for such policy.

[Bodene]

As far as I understood it, 'monkey cheeks' (or 'reservoirs;' as the civilised world calls them) are areas of storage that fill up from flowing water while there is plenty of water, and are used to top up supplies during a drought.

The operative word there is 'flowing'. From a river.

So naturally, Uncle Prayuth wants to put some on the top of a mountain.

Perhaps his tongue was in his 'cheek'?

Edited August 7, 2015 by Bodene

[SoilSpoil]

The solution is so easy. Plant cactuses on those 'denuded' hills in the North.

Be careful not to plant the Peyote cactus.

[Artisi]

As far as I understood it, 'monkey cheeks' (or 'reservoirs;' as the civilised world calls them) are areas of storage that fill up from flowing water while there is plenty of water, and are used to top up supplies during a drought.

The operative word there is 'flowing'. From a river.

So naturally, Uncle Prayuth wants to put some on the top of a mountain.

Perhaps his tongue was in his 'cheek'?

Did he say to put monkey cheek water retention areas on top of any mountains? I don't think he said anything like that. But liked your pun of tongue in cheek.

[Thongkorn]

Have they never heard of underground reservoirs. Old caverns or caves turned into water storage, no condensation or evaporation,

[Bodene]

As far as I understood it, 'monkey cheeks' (or 'reservoirs;' as the civilised world calls them) are areas of storage that fill up from flowing water while there is plenty of water, and are used to top up supplies during a drought.

The operative word there is 'flowing'. From a river.

So naturally, Uncle Prayuth wants to put some on the top of a mountain.

Perhaps his tongue was in his 'cheek'?

Did he say to put monkey cheek water retention areas on top of any mountains? I don't think he said anything like that. But liked your pun of tongue in cheek.

"He then tasked the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment to discover ways to develop denuded mountains into water storage facilities."

Not specifically, but I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that they wouldn't try to put them on the sides of mountains. Generally, the sides are a little steep. The tops are flatter if they're not too pointy.

.

[sammygood]

he has so many great ideas

lol

like some else that had some ideas long time ago and than came up with : fend for youselves, that is the only help you will get, i'm outta here ...

[Mojomor]

The wording of the report is confusing (translation perhaps) but I assume he wants reforestation of some of these mountains as well as extra dams (reservoirs) in the valleys. This would allow much better control of the Ping river, which in turn feeds into the Chao Phraya further south. The monkey cheeks are an emergency measure, where land is deliberately flooded, to prevent more devastating floods in other areas such as towns and cities. The excess water can be used for many different purposes.