Large water transmission tunnel to be constructed for Isaan

[webfact]

Large water transmission tunnel to be constructed for Northeast

BANGKOK, 24 February 2016 (NNT) - The Royal Irrigation Department is studying diversion of water from the Loei estuary to the Northeast as part of its sustainable solutions to the region’s water shortage.

The department has arranged a seminar to brainstorm the design of a very long water transmission tunnel in the Loei, Mun and Chi water management project.

The water tunnel is expected to create water security during the dry season and prevent too much water from flowing into the Mekong river.

Water will be diverted from the Loei estuary—a branch of the Mekong—through the tunnel to agricultural areas in the Northeast.

Once the tunnel’s construction is completed, two billion cubic meters of water will be diverted through the tunnel each year.

The water diversion through the tunnel is expected to benefit more than 1.7 million households and increase irrigation areas during the dry season to 9.4 million Rai and more than 30 million Rai during the rainy season.


-- NNT 2016-02-24

[halloween]

Oh no! A proposal to dam a tributary of the Mekong. Cue the "end of life as we know it / what about the fish" posts.

[trogers]

Spend tonnes of money on the infrastructure, but not making the users pay for the investment? Smart. Or stupid?

[leeneeds]

The gist of this barnstorming is to do exactly that , knock back proposals that for one reason or another don't shape up , all this will involve geologists , enviromentlists , land owners, water management people , government costing , banks , having ideas to help solve situations is the reason to have the barnstorming sessions,

another plan may come out or a remodelled workable one,

Good on them for for implementing conversation , drilling 4000 wells is not the answer,

it may need two tunnels at the head and used when the heavy rains come diverting the excess to the route and maybe a turbine or turbines could be used at that same time ,people need power and payment of such can go towards offsetting the costs, just an idea i would throw in the conversation.

[siliconvalley]

Wow..

Isn't the population of the NE 22 million? So this effort only benefits 1 province?

Now that farmers are getting 8/baht per kilo. A typical 8 rai farm less chemical, tilling, etc. This poor family is lucky to clear 20,000 baht per season. Now, if they plant twice a year, they clear 40,000 baht.

Somehow, it makes more sense to nationalize these thousands of tiny farms and villages. Have the govt. plant rice via prop planes, utilize the lost space each farmer has to make to walk on, then pay each farmer their share. Thereby, creating a standard of Thailand rice quailty, hence, increase price? Water plans can then be more effective since the land encroachment is really attempting to give each farmer more free money.

From this angle, this should appease the corrupt folks since they win via contracts. Now targets, yield, channels of distribution can be established. Goals clearly achievable and now water distribution can now be viewed from the top down.

[noosard]

Where do you get your figures for the price of paddy rice

My wife sold 51 80kg sacks of rice for approx 70k so about 17 baht a kilo

Took over 2 months after harvest to be collected and then paid

Last year we only got 13.5 a kilo

Broke even on what was sold

Family had rice to eat for the year

Edited February 24, 2016 by noosard

[Melyn]

The Mae Nam Loei is largely nothing more than a stream most of the year.

[Toknarok]

Wow..

Isn't the population of the NE 22 million? So this effort only benefits 1 province?

Now that farmers are getting 8/baht per kilo. A typical 8 rai farm less chemical, tilling, etc. This poor family is lucky to clear 20,000 baht per season. Now, if they plant twice a year, they clear 40,000 baht.

Somehow, it makes more sense to nationalize these thousands of tiny farms and villages. Have the govt. plant rice via prop planes, utilize the lost space each farmer has to make to walk on, then pay each farmer their share. Thereby, creating a standard of Thailand rice quailty, hence, increase price? Water plans can then be more effective since the land encroachment is really attempting to give each farmer more free money.

From this angle, this should appease the corrupt folks since they win via contracts. Now targets, yield, channels of distribution can be established. Goals clearly achievable and now water distribution can now be viewed from the top down.

What you are advocating has been tried before, they're called 'collective farms' and we all know how well that system works. Even the Israeli kibbutz with all their good intentions are not profitable.

[IAMHERE]

Is this gonna be a high speed tunnel ?

[wabothai]

probably just a pipeline. Lost in translation perhaps.

Tunnel building is too costly.

[loong]

 

Where do you get your figures for the price of paddy rice

My wife sold 51 80kg sacks of rice for approx 70k so about 17 baht a kilo

Took over 2 months after harvest to be collected and then paid

Last year we only got 13.5 a kilo

Broke even on what was sold

Family had rice to eat for the year

 

That must be really special paddy rice to fetch that high a price. With weight loss and cost of de-husking and polishing, that would bring the price to around retail.

[noosard]

As special as what some government agriculture dept wanted the locals here to grow

Had to be planted by hand and weeded all the time

No differing rice allowed

Maybe for reseeding next season

Dept sent officials to check paddies

Checked the rice after drying

Some neighbour's rice was not good enough they had to sell locally

[jerojero]

Good idea in general perhaps. Will it be engineered properly, built correctly, not double estimated cost at finish, and not take 10 years to complete?

[mgjackson69]

You have to love the headline writers.

The gist of the article is that a water transport is going to be studied; the headline has it already planned out and ready to start building.