Thailand Faces Drought, Affecting Agriculture Production

By Minggu Simon Lhasa BANGKOK, July 15 (Bernama) -- Thailand is facing a drought across the country, particularly in the Chao Phaya Basin that has affected its agricultural production. However, water supply to industrial estates was not affected as they have their own supply, Gen. Anupong Paojinda, Minister of Interior told a news conference after the Cabinet meeting here Tuesday. The Chao Phaya basin, which included four dams from the lower north until the central region, were severely affected due to the prolonged drought following the El-Nino effect. Gen. Anupong said farmers in the agricultural cultivation areas affected by the drought had been asked not to pump water from canals into their farmlands to ensure adequate water for domestic consumption. "The government will not take any legal action against errant farmers, but we will ask them to help by not diverting water from canals to their farmlands," he said. He said the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority and the Provincial Waterworks Authority had ensured that there would be no problem of water consumption until end of August. Meanwhile, Pitipong Puengboon Na Ayuttaya, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the drought effect would last until next year, affecting crops in the Chao Phaya basin. Hence, some farmlands will not be able to do triple cropping of padi cultivation that they usually do, he added. --BERNAMA