Thailand launches upstream forestation

BANGKOK, February 16 (TNA) - Thailand has launched an upstream forestation project, as part of the government's solution to inundation problems on a sustainable basis. The Thai Ministry of Energy, tasked with the upstream forestation initiative by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, has assigned the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), the country's largest petroleum firm, and its subsidiaries, to accelerate completing the project over the next three months to prevent any serious flooding later this year. In response to the government's Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management’s flood prevention measures, EGAT Governor Sutat Patamasiriwat said that EGAT would discharge around seven billion cubic metres of water from the Bhumibol Dam in Tak Province and five billion cubic metres of water from the Sirikit Dam in Uttaradit Province in May, maintaining only about 45 per cent of water each, or totalling three billion cubic metres. Currently, according to the EGAT governor, both the Bhumibol and Sirikit Dams are storing up to 77 and 75 per cent of water respectively. The EGAT chief acknowledged that runoffs from both dams when reaching the central Chinat Province will subside to only 700 cubic metres per second totally; while the Chao Phraya River in nearby Nakhon Sawan Province can bear up to 3,000 cubic metres of water per second, relieving fears of severe flooding in downstream areas this year. The Chao Phraya River catered as massive as 4.6 billion cubic metres per second of water last year, exceeding its full capacity and causing a worst flooding crisis in Thailand's downstream areas. (TNA)