Drought worsens from South to North

[rooster59]

Drought worsens from South to North

BANGKOK: Early arrival of the dry season this year has worsened the already severe drought situation which saw many rivers, canals and dams in the country drying up, making the already bad situation markedly worse from far South to upper North.

But Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan who is also the Defense Minister assured the public that he was confident that the situation will not result in row among the people struggling to grab for water supplies.

He stated that this was due to the fact that the government had made preparations and nationwide rationing plans are already in place to allocate water to every province.

In the South, the disappearance of rains for the past two months in Krabi province have similarly resulted in a major drop in water levels in the public canals in Khao Phanom district.

The situation is so bad that the once flowing canal has now been reduced to a small trickle forcing villagers here to store whatever water supplies they have for their own personal needs as well as their crops.

The situation is same in Chiang Ra Rai with water in the Kok river, one of the five main waterways, reducing to only 10 – 30 cm in depth. Sand banks and bridge foundations which were normally submerged are now clearly visible to the naked eye.

Chiang Mai province has also been similarly affected with the provincial irrigation department pointing out that water reserves in the 700 year old Mae Jok reservoir located behind the sports stadium is now reduced to only 180,000 cubic meters.

Normally the reservoir can store up to 400,000 cubic meters of water making this year the worst in its 21-year history.

Meanwhile boat operators providing ferry service on the Moon River are no less affected by the national drought crisis as the continuous drop in water levels have resulted in them unable to operates their crafts.

These river taxis are concerned over the possibility of grounding or even worst having the bottoms of their boats ruptured by submerged obstacles such as tree trunks or rocks. Almost all report losses of income up to thousands of Baht a day.

In Bangkok, the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, meanwhile, issued a notice asking for the cooperation of the public to reduce their celebration of the upcoming Songkran Festival to small dashing and sprinkling instead of splashing large amounts of water to help conserve water.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/154807

-- Thai PBS 2016-03-12

[NongKhaiKid]

The DPM assures the public he's confident there will be no row between people struggling to grab water supplies !

How many share his confidence as if the situation gets worse everyone will look after their own needs no matter what.

Out of touch with reality as usual.

[harness]

Where in Thailand did it rain properly last year?

Might be worth looking into the rooms for rent situation in those places. When the taps run dry you've gotta move.

[elgordo38]

The DPM assures the public he's confident there will be no row between people struggling to grab water supplies !

How many share his confidence as if the situation gets worse everyone will look after their own needs no matter what.

Out of touch with reality as usual.

Yes he is brimming with confidence while the rivers and lakes not so much so. As you say it will turn out to be every man for himself. He lives in an Alice In Wonderland World.

[janpharma]

So...please stop spilling thousands and thousands and thousands hectoliters of water during Songkran...One can celebrate Songkran in a respectfull way...just as it was meant to be in it's original version...

[BuckBee]

Years of neglect on water management has led to current potential shortage. To support climate change & growing water use for public & commercial growth more storage for run off water is needed, action should of started long ago & after the first flood fiasco would of been good time for serious action. even current government done next to nothing besides usual chatter, should of been top priority 2 years ago as more important than lottery ticket price lol .

If Bangkok & industrial areas end up with shortage a lot of foreign workers will be keen leave & companies will be looking away from thailand as between floods, droughts, protests & incompetence it has not much to offer against rival asean neighbours ...

Edited March 12, 2016 by BuckBee

[swissbie]

So...please stop spilling thousands and thousands and thousands hectoliters of water during Songkran...One can celebrate Songkran in a respectfull way...just as it was meant to be in it's original version...

Stop talking about Songkran. Celebrations have changed as everything else has. Or would you like to exchange your car with a buffalo? Much more important is teaching to use water wisely, not to waste it. That's 365 (366..) days a year. Advertisements in the middle of soap operas or general announcements for example, relentless daily lessons.

[tuanku]

Crises like these are a boon to unpopular governments as they have an opportunity to appear caring and decisive. A war would be better, but drought/floods/disease/tsunami also work. Now lets watch to see if they screw up their chance to shine.

[janpharma]

So...please stop spilling thousands and thousands and thousands hectoliters of water during Songkran...One can celebrate Songkran in a respectfull way...just as it was meant to be in it's original version...

Stop talking about Songkran. Celebrations have changed as everything else has. Or would you like to exchange your car with a buffalo? Much more important is teaching to use water wisely, not to waste it. That's 365 (366..) days a year. Advertisements in the middle of soap operas or general announcements for example, relentless daily lessons.

I fully agree with your educational idea...but I also am convinced that Songkran might be te best example and opportunity to start with...

[bangrak]

I read quite a few releases from DPM Prawit about various items in time, like this one for instance. I have no idea where he is supposed to have acquired communication skills. The only bit of excuse I could find for him is he would be made to read what has been written for him. But, and not only as a DPM, it would still put on his shoulders the burden of propagating 'stuff' (I can impossibly call it 'information') showing time after time a flagrant disrespect for the fundamental intellectual capacities of any basic homo-sapiens, may he be Thai or other.

I have often posted about the cataclysmic communication of the junta, later NCPO and following Government, and, alas, have seen nothing change for the better, rather the opposite! This is plain bad, far from only for 'the team in charge', but more so for the Thai citizens in general, and for the international opinion. It is only (big time) positive for Thaksin/Shins/PTP/UDD and consorts whose extensive PR and propaganda services, locally and internationaly find in these ...irresponsible babbles a fantastic and easy opportunity to contradict, tear down, ridicule any initiative or stance from the authorities in place, one would call it 'gefundenes Fressen' in German...

The Damocles' sword hanging above the heads of the military in power now is to become just a sequel of the inept 'after-the-2006-coup' (military) administration(s), and it is as if they don't (or don't want for some hidden reason) to see what's coming for the military leaders of the future, who will possibly not (at all?) be 'welcomed' by the general population when they would consider it's time to intervein in a national situation running out of hand...

The spectre of a civil war was for some part used as one of the justifications for the last coup, at the time it could have opposed North/North-East/East to Central/South, but whenever it would be citizens from all over the national territory coming up against the military, it should have to be called a 'revolution', and not a pseudo-one like the 1932 'palace putsch', a real, long, violent and bloody one, it is a main task of the military to avoid, but not at all by exerting any kind of pressure on the population, though 'reforming' themselves in order to serve Thailand and the Thais, instead of having it and them serve themselves!

Edited March 12, 2016 by bangrak

[bangrak]

Crises like these are a boon to unpopular governments as they have an opportunity to appear caring and decisive. A war would be better, but drought/floods/disease/tsunami also work. Now lets watch to see if they screw up their chance to shine.

It's like buying a ticket from a previous lottery draw with the wrong numbers on...

[Rorri]

So...please stop spilling thousands and thousands and thousands hectoliters of water during Songkran...One can celebrate Songkran in a respectfull way...just as it was meant to be in it's original version...

Oh dear, when will you people STOP complaining about songkran, get over it, your constant whinging will stop NOTHING, no Thais are listening to your whining.

[tominbkk]

Time to close the golf courses.

[Lampang2]

Yesterday they announced in the speaker-system that water will be cut off 20:00 and at lower pressure the rest of the time.

So I imagine they have huge leaks within the distribution system itself.

This in Lampang, who never seen drought before as far as I know.

Many like myself have water tanks and are not affected by water cut off during the night.

But saves on distribution leaks for sure.

[happy Joe]

So...please stop spilling thousands and thousands and thousands hectoliters of water during Songkran...One can celebrate Songkran in a respectfull way...just as it was meant to be in it's original version...

You can write nonsense here, but not too much ...

Water Songkran is a drop in the ocean of regular consumption water requiere this country.

Moreover much of this will come back in groundwater where it was pumped as any water falling on the soil.

Your advice of punitive inspiration and approved by a majority once again shows the limit of solutions read on social networks.

[billd766]

The DPM assures the public he's confident there will be no row between people struggling to grab water supplies !

How many share his confidence as if the situation gets worse everyone will look after their own needs no matter what.

Out of touch with reality as usual.

Do you think it would be better under an elected government?

It is not as if this government decided to cancel the rain for a year or 2.

[Colabamumbai]

Mean while on every street water is leaking from broken pipes.

[kannot]

The DPM assures the public he's confident there will be no row between people struggling to grab water supplies !

How many share his confidence as if the situation gets worse everyone will look after their own needs no matter what.

Out of touch with reality as usual.

Thais noted for their selfishness just look at their driving or the "me firsts" who walk into 7-11 and just ask for a pack of fags ( cigarettes) as they are too important to queue, seen many.

[kannot]

Time to close the golf courses.

Generals and Hi so's need their golf i mean its not like theyre doing anything else all day as if they were surely Dams would have been built everywhere by now

[kannot]

Idiots by me still growing rice, PRANBURI one of the driest areas of Thailand they just keep re planting again and again and again. Sensible folk grow Pineapples need virtually zero water here

[cyberfarang]

However, Songkran will still go ahead as usual, because no matter how dire the situation the show must go on.

I would advise that everyone should hit the streets with their buckets during Songkran to catch and save the precious water being thrown at them. It could be a life saver later on.

[kannot]

However, Songkran will still go ahead as usual, because no matter how dire the situation the show must go on.

I would advise that everyone should hit the streets with their buckets during Songkran to catch and save the precious water being thrown at them. It could be a life saver later on.

Im digging a 50 metre deep hole at the side of the road and gonna stand there all week in the hope I will be doused in water all day, then we'll see whos laughing when they aint got any water

[willyumiii]

It's time Thailand leaps in to the 20th century. ( yes, I know it is now the 21st century )

No matte how dry the dry season is, we always have flooding in the rainy season.

Where does all of the flood water go?

It goes down the rivers and into the Gulf of Thailand where it becomes useless.

Reservoirs to retain that flood water for use in the dry season is a no brainer.

Reservoirs also provide opportunities for recreation and other business development.

With the price of rice and other agriculture products so low right now, the cost of land to build the reservoirs must be low now.

( if not, my wife owns several farms I would love to sell right now..no water = no crops to sell...even at a low price!)

Construction of dams would employ many and I'm sure government officials could find ways to make a few extra baht off the construction contracts as well.

I can think of no reason why Thailand can not do this and solve this problem once and for all!