Efforts continue against drought

 

CHAINAT, 24 MARCH 2017 (NNT) – All related agencies are stepping up efforts to cope with the drought season with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives ordering more rainmaking and the Royal Irrigation Department calling for more water storage. 

Office 12 of the Royal Irrigation Department has ordered Chainat, Uthai Thani, Singburi, Ang Thong and Suphanburi provinces to prepare as supplies for farming are soon to be cut down in the interest of preserving water supplies for later in the dry season. Farms and localities have been told to begin storing up water as the release from dams will be slowed between now and April 1, when an evaluation of the situation will take place. 

Authorities have been dispatched in Ayuthaya province to follow up on water management practices promoted to the public and have reported success so far in dividing supplies. 

The Ministry of Agriculture meanwhile, has instructed the Royal Rainmaking Department to expedite its work in aid of farmers in need of water. Locals in the northeast have already filed official requests for rainmaking to support the growing of tapioca and corn. 

All rainmaking offices have been allowed to perform cloud seeding as needed during this time but have noted that a tropical storm is expected in the country over the next 2 to 3 days.

 

-- nnt 2017-03-24

 

I'm worried. Government, please issue a statement saying there is enough water. 

35 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

I'm worried. Government, please issue a statement saying there is enough water. 

Prayut said two maybe three weeks back there was sufficient water, so everyone is saved, the Junta will look after U don't worry,  relax. ....................................... 

We passed Chai Nat last week, green are the paddies, what drought? When they say beware of the drought begin to prepare for the floods. Bangkok will be under water by September - 60% chance at present. By shouting drought they are keeping back more water in the dams, which means if we have an above rainfall season they cant let enough water out without causing flooding. If they let enough water out to prevent a flood and it doesnt rain there wont be enough water. 

6 hours ago, rkidlad said:

I'm worried. Government, please issue a statement saying there is enough water. 

the only thing we need to worry about is worry itself.

you know, my air conditioner malfunctioned and a large amount of water started flowing into my bedroom. After 24 hours I was able to collect enough water to flush a toilet. 

 

Normally this water flows outside into the yard, but if there was a way to create a "gray water" system I am thinking my air conditioner could create about 30 flushes a month.

 

Multiply that by every air conditioner in Thailand.

 

 

3 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

you know, my air conditioner malfunctioned and a large amount of water started flowing into my bedroom. After 24 hours I was able to collect enough water to flush a toilet. 

 

Normally this water flows outside into the yard, but if there was a way to create a "gray water" system I am thinking my air conditioner could create about 30 flushes a month.

 

Multiply that by every air conditioner in Thailand.

 

 

Agreed....Since seven and a half gallons of water get flushed each time you get rid of a pint, at the most, of urine... Each time I pee in my garden, I save SEVEN GALLONS OF WATER...!!!  Yes, I realize, not everyone can have a garden....

Been saying this for the last 4 years.....there can only be a drought when expected rain does not fall. In Central Thailand rein ceases mid October and starts again early mid May. So the current dry spell is not a drought but normal weather patterns for this time of year. 

Since the floods of 2006 and the terrible floods of 2011, the Royal Irrigation Dept have let the dams run closer to low than before. Their fear is that late heavy rains in August and September will over fill the major dams,so they have then to release water, hence flooding at the late stage of the rainy season. In 2006 our village flooded for the first time in living memory in October, we actually had not had any rain locally for 3 weeks but got caught with the rain water being released from the dams up river from where we are. SO stupid, that I went over the village by boat (100 meters away ) looked at the damage done, went home and watered my lawns because they were drying out fast.

Again in 2011, we were dry and short of water when the worst flooding happened. It really annoys that our flood waters do not come from the rain we get. It comes always from total lack of Man Management, coordinated at the Irrigation Dept.The Father of a boy, I taught at the time in 2011, worked in the Irrigation Dept told me that the Govt. was so scared of the cost of the flooding, and the damage it did to investor confidence that from now on water will always be in a less available supply so if heavy rain fell in the last months of the rainy season the dams could not cope, hence flooding.

My wife has 5 rai of mangoes, and mangoes need water when they flower and fruit from December to April. For the last 4 years we have had no water available in the mangoes from November to May. Before this we had water flowing through the mangoes 360 days a year. So much less fruit, smaller size, hardly worthwhile growing them. Last year because of the lack of water we lost 40 trees, out of 430.

Locally many orchards have cleared out their fruit trees and gone for other crops which do not use as much water. Many bores have been put down, and today they have to go to 100 meters to get a decent water flow. 10 years ago they drilled to 25 meters. No control of how deep, how many bores drilled but in 10 years time water from bores will be in short supply and then we will see how poor the farmers will be then, and how the rural economies will frizzle away.  Last year the Junta said they would drill 4000 bores on the Central plain....imagine the waste, and how the underground supplies will be deleted and possibly take decades to recover.

Water shortages will be a main cause of International disputes especially here with the damage being done to the Mekong.

 

CHEERS

BAYBOY 

Since we foreigners are not able to farm, I wish TV would quit posting anything to do with water storage and drought. All it does is give a topic for Thai Bashing.

Since we foreigners are not able to farm, I wish TV would quit posting anything to do with water storage and drought. All it does is give a topic for Thai Bashing.

Ooooooh...the usual "don't say anything against anything thai"- comment!
Well...you read the part about "rainmaking", right?!
Or are you in the garden, sacrificing a goat to the water- goddess?


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Strange, here in Udon have already had enough rain to fill 3 of our 4 ongs this year, and rainy season hasn't officially started yet ....

 

But at least my carrots and beetroot are still going strong, usually dying by now. Been a cool March over all