Survey to seek better water access, alternatives to dam at Mae Wong

The survey should be ready in a week and details and budget submitted for the government to consider.
The survey was discussed during a meeting between DWR chief Jatuporn Buruphat and Sasin Chalermlarp, secretary general of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation. The meeting was held to discuss the foundation’s alternative water management plan – proposed to help locals get better access to water and to replace the controversial Mae Wong Dam plan.
Jatuporn pointed out many parts of the management plan were similar to the department’s own scheme. He said the survey trip – which the foundation will also take part in – would also investigate the possibility of dredging Bueng Lom Lake, which would boost water storage capacity by 40 million cubic metres.
 Jatuporn said the foundation’s proposal could be included in the new water master management plan, a joint project by DWR and the Royal Irrigation Department (RID), set for release next month. He said this was not a slap in the face for RID, which initially backed the Mae Wong Dam, as his department oversees areas outside irrigated zones.
Sasin welcomed the DWR’s move, which emphasises importance of other water management methods – rather than big dams, saying it was a better option for effective water management and would boost locals’ water access.
“If Mae Wong Dam were built, it would take at least eight years to complete and wouldn’t respond to the local communities’ needs,” he said.
Last week, Sasin camped outside the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning to protest over a meeting to assess the Environmental Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) report for the dam. During the meeting, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation presented a statement calling for the dam to be cancelled.