PM orders assistance for drought-hit areas
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged related agencies to mitigate the impact on people in drought-hit areas and to prepare a plan to deal with the upcoming rainy season.
“The premier was satisfied with overall water management and thanked related agencies for allocating water effectively," Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Thursday.
He said the National Water Command Centre has instructed related agencies to monitor flood situations in many provinces, namely Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket, Buri Ram, Surin, Trat, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phuket and Krabi provinces.
Meanwhile, the Marine Department has dredged Kham River in Chiang Mai's Mae Chan district to support water supply during the rainy season, benefiting 339 households, he added.
Thanakorn explained that water reserves nationwide totalled 46.34 billion cubic metres, accounting for 56 per cent of capacity.
Of the total, 40.56 billion cubic metres were stored in 38 large reservoirs, 3.32 billion cubic metres in 355 medium reservoirs and 2.46 billion cubic metres in 139,894 small reservoirs, he explained.
He said that the water in four main dams, namely Bhumibol, Sirikit, Kwae Noi Bumrung Dan and Pasak Jolasid, totalled 10.11 billion cubic metres.
"The water levels in many rivers ranged between low and normal, and it is likely to increase," he added.