Crackdown on pollution in central region to limit impact on 4 dams
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Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed relevant agencies to seek ways to deal with the low water levels at the country's four major dams, the government spokesman said.
Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the four dams are located in the Chao Phraya River basin. They include Bhumibol Dam in Tak, Sirikit Dam in Uttaradit, Pa Sak Jolasid Dam in Lop Buri, and Khwae Noi Bamrung Dan Dam in Phitsanulok.
Sansern said the combined water volume at the four dams now stands at 4,157 million cubic metres. It is expected that 3,500 million cubic metres of water will be required for consumption and for maintaining the ecological system during the next dry season, from now until next July. Only 657 million cubic metres of water will be left for risk management and in response to emergency demand for water.
He said wastewater was also found to have been released from industrial plants into some rivers in the central region. To cope with the problem, relevant agencies need to allocate more water to ease water pollution. The situation is likely to affect the water volume in the dams.
In this regard, Prayut instructed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to urgently rectify the situation, to try to limit the impact on water volume in the dams. Inspections must be made to ensure the quality of water treatment in industrial plants meets the national standard.
Campaigns have also been launched to encourage people living along various rivers not to litter in order to prevent water pollution.
Since the drought is likely to be severe in the coming dry season, all sectors of society have been urged to join hands in maintaining the quality of water along rivers, so that officials will not have to allocate more water to fight pollution.
