Min of Defense dredges waterways ahead of dry season

BANGKOK, 18 January 2016 (NNT) - The Ministry of Defense has ordered its units to dredge waterways across the country to boost the efficiency of water distribution ahead of the dry season.

Ministry of Defense Spokesman Maj Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanich said the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is concerned that the severity of this year's drought crisis will be greater than anticipated.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan has called on the armed forces and other agencies to help the Ministry of Interior to unclog rivers and canals in Bangkok and elsewhere.

Participating units have been told focus their efforts around sluice gates and riverbends, to ensure that drought-affected areas receive water during the summer.

The Defense Spokesman added that the ministry has always supported projects by the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation. The construction of 24 temporary water retention areas, or 'monkey cheek' dams, are now underway in the provinces of Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan.

The dams are expected to be up and running by the end of March. The Thai public is being reminded to conserve water in order for the country to survive the dry season.


-- NNT 2016-01-18

I'm confuzzled (no surprise). I thought we were already well into the "dry season" ? I thought the "rainy season" was due to start in April ?

I think this is a good idea, just that they probably should have started it a couple of months ago and perhaps added some flood prevention measures (dikes and such) to the plan as well.

"ahead of the dry season." Who writes this BS we ARE in the dry season.

Ministry of Defense practising its dredging capabilities in readiness for the Submarine acquisition.

How does a dredged-channel help, if there's no water in the dams upstream, to release ?

Thai logic...In the civilized world they dredge the canals before the raining season to avoid flooding.... here they dredge in the middle of the dry season.

"The Ministry of Defense has ordered its units to dredge waterways across the country to boost the efficiency of water distribution ahead of the dry season."

This is the dry season and there isn't any water to distribute along these dried out waterways/canals. And as for "rain making", there are no clouds to seed.

My educated guess would be, that Bangkok ONLY Bangkok will face heavy rains more than other provinces.............. just a thought

they have been growing rice here for how many centuries?

"ahead of the dry season." Who writes this BS we ARE in the dry season.

The dry season starts when Songkran starts, apparently.

Also should not canal dredging be done ahead of the WET season?

they have been growing rice here for how many centuries?

Nigh on a millineum, but they just started planning for it yesterday.

My educated guess would be, that Bangkok ONLY Bangkok will face heavy rains more than other provinces.............. just a thought

Thats the sad fact when you have a centralist government. 17% of the population and 70% of tax revenue. Bangkok is the first city you see after you step off of the plane.

"ahead of the dry season." Who writes this BS we ARE in the dry season.

The dry season starts when Songkran starts, apparently.

Also should not canal dredging be done ahead of the WET season?

I have been living here for 13 years and every year the rains stop around Oct/Nov or so and then the rain usually begins within days of Songkran.

This must be a typo as it should clearly be rainy season...
But at least they are doing something to prepare. We have several excavators clearing and deepening the waterways in and around the college so that they should be able to hold more water when the next rainy season comes. Ditches has been widened and deepened from 1x1meter to 2x2meters, many small "ponds" are getting deeper as now they are/will be 5-10m deep compared to 2-3m before this project started, the main water way passing the college is being cleared, and getting a depth of about 10m as what they dig out is used to raise the dikes and prepare dirt roads on each side of the small river. So at least this college is preparing to keep as much water as possible during the next rainy season.