Rain to sweep country but more needed
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) says a band of rain will sweep across most of the country over the next few days but that the inclement weather has a silver lining — irrigation agencies have been ordered to store the water to replenish drying reservoirs.
Gp Capt Somsak Khaosuwan, TMD director-general, said the rain would come from a low-pressure system in the South China Sea and despite it making landfall in Vietnam and southern part China, it would cause heavy downpours in 50 provinces in the northeastern, eastern and southern regions until Tuesday.
Provinces in the northeastern region expected to face heavy rain and even possible floods are Bueng Kan, Nong Khai, Loei, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Udon Thani, Roi Et, Maha Sarakham, Ubon Ratchathani, Buri Ram and Sri Sa Ket.
Eastern region provinces affected are Sa Kaeo, Rayong, Chanthaburi and
Trat, as well as Ranong and Phangnga in the South.
Despite warnings of flooding and runoff in mountainous areas, Thailand still needs plenty more rain to save the country, especially the farming sector, from a water shortage crisis.
“The rain has been scarce this wet season,” Thongplew Kongjun, director-general of Royal Irrigation Department, state agency operating irrigation systems and reservoirs, said yesterday. “This storm will help relieve the drought and provide much-needed water for household con- sumption and farming.”
State irrigation agencies and farmers have been in constant fear throughout this year as reservoir levels have sunk ever lower.
Reserves at four major dams in the Central Plains — Bhumibol, Sirikit, Pasak Jolasid and Kwae Noi Bamrung Daen — have hit critical levels, while
Bhumibol Dam in Tak, the country’s largest dam, currently has only 3.9 billion cubic metres of water, just enough to meet its minimum reserve requirements.
The TMD says rainfall this year is down 5% from normal.
Sangsit Piriyarangsan, chairman of the Senate committee on poverty and inequality reduction, said if the country had not had some rain over the past two months, it would face a severe drought by the end of this year and into 2021, which would only compound the current economic turmoil.
The Senate panel had inspected water scarcity in some regions, he said, and was in talks with local administrations and residents to thrash out solutions.
Mr Sangsit said the Senate committee would propose speedy, short-term solutions to the government. One possible solution was to build a small weir system in communities to impede and irrigate water, prevent flooding and help to store water.
“Such a system would be easy and cheap to get built,” he said. “It would cost up to one hundred thousand baht maximum and only take a few days to build, without causing an impact on the environment.”
He said the small weir irrigation system is suitable for remote villages, especially those outside irrigation canals. It can divert rain water to small ponds so more water can be stored by farmers.
An estimated 80% of farmland in Thailand, mostly in the northeastern region, is not fed by state irrigation and that makes it heavily reliant on rain alone.
“Many provinces have used this solution since 2015 and it is still working for them,” said Mr Sangsit.
“It is easy to use, doesn’t pollute the environment, is inexpensive and can easily be built in only two to five days.”