RELIEF FOR CENTRAL FARMERS AS WATER RELEASE SLOWS
Farmers in the Central Plains have had some of their flood fears eased after the Royal Irrigation Department put the brakes on the discharge from the Chao Phraya River.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikulya ordered the department to cut the discharge from the barrage dam in Chai Nat, with the rate reduced to 1,877 cubic metres per second yesterday from 1,988 the previous day.
He said the reduction in the amount of water being discharged would bring relief to local villagers who have been affected by flash flooding over the past week.
Riverside communities in Sing Buri’s Phrom Buri, Ang Thong’s Pa Mok and Ayutthaya’s Sena and Bang Ban districts have been hit by flash floods due to the increased water discharged from the Chai Nat dam.
But Ekkasith Sakdeethanaporn, head of the Chao Phraya dam project, said farmers and residents in the Central provinces would not feel the effects immediately.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and monitor the river’s water levels as more rain is expected.
Gen Chatchai said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has been worried about the floods and plans to inspect affected areas in Ayutthaya on Wednesday.
Industrial zones in Ayutthaya were severely damaged when floods ravaged the country in 2011.
Officials at the Interior Ministry are working on a budget that accommodates compensation for flood victims in response to Gen Prayut’s order, he said.
The government will provide compensation of 1,113 baht per rai of rice, 1,148 baht per rai rai for crops and 1,690 baht per rai of garden farms.