Bangkokians told to save water to ease drought impacts

BANGKOK, May 5 (TNA) - The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) has asked Bangkokians to save water to ease impacts from this year's widespread drought, including possible water shortages in the local agricultural sector. MWA Governor Charoen Pasara cautioned Saturday that a higher amount of raw water used for tapwater production in the summer means there will be less water available for used in other local sectors, especially in agriculture. According to the MWA, which provides water services in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan Provinces, the water level at Bhumibol Dam in Thailand's northwestern Tak province stood at 2.92 billion cubic meters last month, or 22 per cent of its total capacity, while those at Sirikit Dam in the northern Uttaradit province was at 2.07 billion cubic meters, also at some 22 per cent of its total capacity. The water levels at other major dams, including the Pa Sak Cholasit Dam in the central Lopburi province, the Srinagarindra Dam and the Vajiralongkorn Dam in the western Kanchanaburi province, were at 184 million, 2.79 billion and 1.441 billion cubic meters respectively. The MWA chief, however, assured the public that there is enough raw water for tapwater production in Bangkok this summer, despite critical drought faced by several Thai areas currently. Meanwhile, Weerapong Chaiperm, Governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), told journalists that the IEAT is, however, watching out for possible drought problems at five Thai industrial estates in the East, namely Map Ta Phut, Phadaeng, Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard, Asia and RIL industrial sites, after water at the local Dok Klai, Pra-sae and Nong Pla-lai Reservoirs amounted to 150 million cubic meters or accounted for only half of their combined full capacity last month, the level of which was close to the amount in April 2004 which led to a drought crisis in 2005 when the combined reserved water accounted for as low as 15 per cent of its full capacity. (TNA)