Agriculture ministry is monitoring water reserves at dams in North, Northeast

BANGKOK, March 3 1 (TNA) -- Officials of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry are monitoring closely the levels of water reserves at dams in the North and the Northeast and believe remaining water was enough for consumption until July. Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikalya said Wednesday that he ordered the Royal Irrigation Department to keep monitoring water reserve situations at 10 dams in the North and the Northeast including Siyat, Lam Phra Phloeng, Kiew Lom, Kiew Khor Ma, Mae Ngat Somboon Chon and Mae Kuang Udom Thara dams. Discharges at the Mae Ngat Somboon Chon dam in Chiang Mai province were adjusted weekly and suction pipes were extended at the Mae Kuang Udom Thara dam in Chiang Mai, Gen Chatchai said. Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces would have enough water for consumption until July and rainmaking already began in eight provinces on March 1, he said. The agriculture minister admitted that eight rainmaking pilots quit last year and four more did so this year. The resignations had no impacts because 54 rainmaking pilots remained with 41 planes, Gen Chatchai said. (TNA)