Irrigation department at work on drought relief in the North
The Royal Irrigation Department said it is helping provide relief to drought affected areas in the upper northern region while encouraging residents to save water.
Director-general Thongplew Kongjan said the department has been providing aid to several northern provinces facing water shortages. “In Phrae, we installed water pumps to irrigate 500 rai (80 hectares) of farming areas using water from Mae Sai creek in Ban Kass sub-district in Sung Men district,” he said. “Local farmers can now start their cultivation in August-September.”
The department also installed two 8-inch water pumps at Paphai sub-district of Li district in Lamphun province to provide water to 600 rai of farmlands, helping over 150 local farmer households. The same type of water pumps were also installed in Chiang Mai, one at Mae Jam river and another at Mae Taeng district, which are expected to help 30 households and 300 rai of farmland.
In Chiang Rai, one 8-inch water pump was installed at Yonok sub-district of Chiang Saen district, and is expected to irrigate approximately 2,800 rai of farmlands.
The department is closely monitoring the weather and will continue to provide aid to affected areas using all of its available equipment and staff, he said. However, in order to successfully defeat the drought it is asking all parties to contribute by conserving water as much as possible.