PM orders water management plan prepared

BANGKOK, September 17 (TNA) -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to formulate complete water management and drought-related assistance plans before asking farmers to change their plants to suit the amount of water reserves. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Gen Prayut ordered the agriculture ministry to work out the detailed water management plan because rainwater was 25% lower than its amount last year and raised concerns on limited water reserves. He wanted the plan to cover water reserves at 33 main dams and other sources including underground water sources. The prime minister discussed water situations with relevant authorities on Sept 16 and their meeting concluded that it was difficult to source water from Mekong and Salween rivers that involved other countries. Therefore, they resolved to retain water from the Thai tributaries of both transnational rivers within the Thai territory for as long as possible, Maj Gen Sansern said. The agriculture minister proposed 30 new water retention areas in the five northeastern provinces of Nakhon Phanom, Nong Khai, Loei, Bung Kan and Mukdahan and 22 small dams in 22 provinces in the upper parts of the Northeast and the Central Plain. The prime minister also ordered the agriculture ministry and other relevant ministries to prepare clear assistance measures to help farmers if they were to be instructed to change their plants to follow water management, the government spokesman said. (TNA)