Officials continue to call for water saving measures despite belief drought will not be severe

 

 

PHITSANULOK, 16 March 2017 (NNT) – While officials believe the drought situation this year will be less severe than in recent times, they have continued to ask that farmers hold off planting and the air force has continued rainmaking operations. 

A Royal Rainmaking unit has been dispatched to the 46th Air Regiment in Phitsanulok province where it will base operations to refill dams in the area. The Royal Thai Airforce has dedicated a BT-67 aircrafts to assist in the effort. 

In Lopburi province, local Irrigation Department officials have launched a caravan of 20 trucks that will seek to encourage farmers to hold off planting new crops this season. Lopburi planters were recently found to be planting up to 860,000 Rai of crops in excess of set levels, threatening to worsen drought conditions. 

Royal Irrigation Department officials have pointed out that only Nakhon Ratchasima is a cause for a concern in terms of drought this year as most dams in the country have more water retained than previous years. They also expect that the rainy season will begin earlier this year, alleviating worry over an extended dry season. 

Meanwhile, Phrae province has continued to contend with forest fires that have exacerbated smog and haze. Locals have complained that a shortage of equipment has undercut their ability to quell fires, which have raised particulate matter in the air to dangerous levels.

 

-- nnt 2017-03-16

Officials continue to call for water saving measures despite belief drought will not be severe
... They also expect that the rainy season will begin earlier this year, alleviating worry over an extended dry season... 


  -- nnt 2017-03-16

Hoping against hope?

Notice the subtle change in language from "Officials confident there will be no drought this year" (or WTTE) a few days / weeks ago, its now "Drought won't be as severe as previous years" 

 

I wonder how this language will change in the next few weeks - 'Officials blame farmers for worsening drought situation' is my bet.

They were very lucky last year,when the rains came soon,

the are betting against Mother Nature,and the odds are

not good IMHO.

regards Worgeordie

This isn't a drought or a shortage.

 

Please don't be alarmist or negative.

 

I think the acceptable junta euphemism is "water waiting to fall".

Have a look at the volume of water here in the dams near you.

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/show_sm_dam.php?lang=en

 

The situation IS much better than last year. Having said that much of last years rain went to fill the underground water reserves and boreholes.

 

I live in rural Khampaeng Phet and the government water finally stopped flowing at the weekend around 11th March.

 

In 2016 the government water supply stopped in December 2015, 3 months previous than this year. Hopefully next year we will have enough water for the whole year, but it would be either a very careful man to predict that and a very foolish man to guarantee it.

It is decent of the government officials to ask farmers not to plant, and thus reduce their potential income, while other government officials obliviously spend billions on needed war weapons, submarines and fighter aircraft. There is little quality of life without water.

"The Royal Thai Airforce has dedicated a BT-67 aircraft  s to assist in the effort. " 

I will believe they are serious about conservation when they limit the throwing of water during the Songkran holiday to one day only. Otherwise, it's another proclamation that will go nowhere.

14 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

I will believe they are serious about conservation when they limit the throwing of water during the Songkran holiday to one day only. Otherwise, it's another proclamation that will go nowhere.

In Pattaya, no such concern by authorities I fear. Too much money at stake with the masses that will arrive. 

Had a nice rain in Sakon Nakhon today, I hadn't seen any rainmaking planes, maybe they use high drones.