Artificial rain triggers downpours in 48 Thai provinces

BANGKOK, April 10 (TNA) - The Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has conducted artificial rain making operations that have triggered downpours in 48 Thai provinces during this ongoing dry season in order to increase water reserves in the targeted areas. The department's director-general, Surasee Kittimonthon, told journalists on April 9 that in response to low water reserves in Lamtakong Dam in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in the Thai Northeast, the artificial rain making operations have been conducted on weekends to ensure enough water for people's consumption and farming purposes in the Lamtakong River basin during the ongoing dry season. Surasee said the task has successfully caused slight and medium levels of rainfalls in the targeted areas and his department will continue the artificial rain making operations, particularly in now drought-hit Sa Kaeo Province in the Thai East. The director-general also asked local people to save water and to use water wisely during this year's Songkran or water splashing festival. The department reported that 566 flights of artificial rainmaking operations had been launched during March 3-April 8, resulting in rainfalls in 48 Thai provinces and increased water reserves of a total of 100.60 million cubic metres in local reservoirs. (TNA)