Enough water reserves for the dry season

Bangkok, Sept 25 – The Royal Irrigation Department reports good water reserves at four main dams and plans area-based water allocation in the Chao Phraya river basin. Thongplew Kongjun, deputy director-general of the department, said Bhumibol, Sirikit, Pasak Jolasid and Kwai Noi Bamrung Dan dams held altogether about 10 billion cubic meters of water. The reserve is about 1 billion cubic meters higher than last year’s reserve. He expects the combined reserve to reach about 12 billion cubic meters before the end of the rainy season. He said the amount ensured problem-free water allocation in the next dry season. Mr Thongplew also said that his department agreed with rice growers in Ayutthaya province that their rice harvest would finish within Sept 15 so that low-lying fields in the province could be used as water retention areas in case that the Chao Phraya dam would receive a large amount of water. However, he said inflow to the dam might not be that much this year and water would be directed to low-lying fields in Ayutthaya only to protect ecosystems. (TNA)