Despite storms, drought concerns grow (Updated)
The Department of Royal Irrigation has urged rice farmers in the Chao Phraya River basin to delay planting their crops due to water shortages. Rainfall is below average and many big dams are critically short of water.
The Department of Royal Irrigation has urged rice farmers in the Chao Phraya River basin to delay planting their crops due to water shortages. Rainfall is below average and many big dams are critically short of water.
Please join us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning
Wednesday update:
Famous for its elevated rail track across the Pasak Chonlasit dam, a section of the Kang Suea Ten-Lam Narai rail route in Lop Buri is now seen in this mid-May photo as nothing more than a bridge over the receding water. Drought has sent water in the dam plummeting to less than 30% of the full capacity of 960 million cu m. THITI WANNAMONTHA
Farmers urged to delay crops
Bhumibol dam drops to 3% of useable capacity
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
The Department of Royal Irrigation has urged rice farmers in the Chao Phraya River basin to delay planting their crops due to water shortages.
The department said crop planting should be delayed until the middle of next month due to unusually low rainfall.
The department says water reserves are sufficient for only the next 40 days.
According to the department, the amount of rainfall last month, when the rainy season started, was 260 millimetres, or 30% lower than the 30-year average amount of 396.6mm in the same period.
Meanwhile, rainfall in the North last month was 47% lower compared with the same period last year and rainfall in the Central Plains was 45% lower.
This has resulted in less water reserves in the four dams, particularly Bhumibol and Sirikit.
When officials checked Tuesday, usable water storage in Bhumibol dam was 457 million cubic metres, or only 3% of usable capacity, and water storage in Sirikit dam was 831 million cubic metres or only 9% of usable capacity.
Tuesday's story
Just when commuters thought they were high and dry, a second storm in 24 hours slammed Bangkok Tuesday and filled the streets for another waterlogged morning. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
More storms, but drought headaches remain
Bangkokians were rudely awakened to a second night of rain, thunder and lightning, but thus far there are few reports of the heavy flooding that paralysed traffic a day earlier.
Severe storms also hit areas in the north, northeastern and central regions, heavily damaging roofs, downing trees and cutting power lines. Some rural areas were without power for more than 10 hours.
The Meteorological Department blamed monsoons that are stronger than usual this week, and promised the winds and heavy rain would ease by mid-week, although it forecast rain for every day this week.
Monday morning's deluge dropped up to 175mm of rain on parts of Bangkok, and left traffic in chaos. The floodwaters drained off by mid-morning, but traffic was affected and even gridlocked throughout the day.
Monday's torrential storm was made worse by tonnes of rubbish that crippled the Bangkok pumping systems.
City workers collect rubbish from a pumping station. Photo from Facebook page of Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra
The water left rush-hour traffic at a complete standstill in large parts of the city, especially in the business district, while at least 10 flights were reportedly delayed at Suvarnabhumi airport.
Speaking after an inspection of the Khlong Toey water pumping station, Bangkok city clerk Sanya Chenimit blamed the traffic problems on the large amount of rainfall across the city between 2am and 6.30am, which led to floods in 19 main areas.
It took longer than normal to drain the water due to a large amount of rubbish clogging the sewage system and the water pumping stations, he said.
One of the four pumping machines at the giant tunnel in the Rama IX area had so much rubbish in it it was unable to operate. More than 10 tonnes of waste — including furniture and big trees — is collected daily from water pumping stations across the city, he said.
The recent storms however, have not alleviated what is currently the biggest problem in many upcountry areas – a lack of water.
This photo taken at the Lam Takhong dam in February showed how the drought was taking effect, exposing part of the old Mittraphap Road as water levels fell. Officials expected the rainy season to begin refilling the dam last month, but the monsoons are a little late this year. (File photo by Chanat Katanyu)
The problem is particularly acute at the Lam Takhong dam in Sikhiu district of Nakhon Ratchasima.
Suttiroj Kongkaew, director of the Lam Takhong Operation and Maintenance Project said the volume of water in the dam had dropped to 65 million cubic metres out of the dam's total capacity of 373.64 million cu/m.
It was the lowest water level in a decade, he said.
However, he added, the 700,000 cu/m of water released from the dam every day would still be adequate for tap water production and water supply for farmland.
Suthep Noipairoj, deputy director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department (RID), had a different assessment. He said he considered the water situation at Lam Takhong a crisis and the province faced a water shortage due to a lack of rainfall.
He expected the dam to run out of its 5.5 billion cu/m of total water supply by the end of this month, which will directly affect farmlands in the province.
Mr Suthep said the RID is preparing to stop releasing water for agricultural purposes, and to reserve the water for consumption only.
Story contains material from Post reporters and online reporters.
สามารถฝึกอ่านออกเสียงและดูคำแปลได้ที่ : http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/587013/more-storms-but-drought-headaches-remain