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Many provinces in southern and north-eastern Thailand are currently facing
their severest drought in many decades.
The water level in several key rivers and reservoirs in the southern
province of Satun is the lowest ever in years.
Fruits,
like rambutan and longan, have been badly affected by the serious water
shortage.
Fruit trees in more than 500 rai have been totally damaged.
The provincial authorities have distributed more than seven million
litres of clean water to villagers in the province's five districts worst
hit by the drought.
In the upper southern province of
Prachuap Khiri Khan, provincial irrigation officials have turned the
water off in many key canals because of the rapid fall of the water level in
the Pranburi Dam.
The water in the dam has fallen dramatically untill now there is only 30%
left – insufficient for agricultural use, the province’s chief irrigation
official, Theppong Threenate, told TNA.
However, fresh water is still being made available for the tap water
system in Hua Hin, a
renowned beach resort in the province.
Prachuap Khiri Khan’s
Sam Roy Yod National Park’s water area, Bueng Bau, has also been
severely hit by the drought.
Local and migrating birds cannot lay eggs and raise their off-spring over
the parched lake because the lack of food.
In the country's north-eastern province of Nong Bua Lam Phu, its main
water source, Lam Nam Pong, is now at the lowest level in 30 years, and the
province's tap water is low quality because black top soil at the key
reservoir has been sucked into the system.
More than 500 rai of land planted with soy bean has been destroyed by the
water shortage, according to the mayor of Chom Thong Sub-district, Samrong
Mongputthi.
The mayor has asked the provincial authorities to provide a million baht
to build three reservoirs to save water from the Lam Nam Pong to ease water
shortages among local villagers. |