Tension high as villages fight over shrinking water supplies
SUNTHORN PONGPAO & SUMETH WANNAPRUEK
With farmers scrambling to plant off-season rice crops to capitalise on soaring export prices, the conflict over shrinking water supplies is setting village against village in the Central Plains area. In Ayutthaya, farmers in four villages in tambon Khao Ngam are in conflict over the use of water from the single irrigation canal which feeds their rice fields.
Booncherd Leekasem, headman of Moo 1 village, complained that people in his village and in Moo 4 had to pay a high price to install water pipes and pumps to get water from the canal, which is more than two kilometres away.
However, people in Moo 2 and 3 have sufficient water for their off-season rice crop because the Khao Ngam tambon administration allocated 100,000 baht to them for water management.
Mr Booncherd said people of Moo 1 and 4 have spent nearly 200,000 baht of their own money on the pipes and electricity for the pumps that work around the clock feeding water to their paddy fields, which cover nearly 2,000 rai.
At the same time, the local body was trying to stop them growing an extra rice crop.
''It is unfair that the TAO prohibits Moo 1 and 4 farmers from growing off-season rice, citing water shortage fears,'' he said.
He claimed that some Moo 2 and 3 farmers had attempted to demolish a dyke built by his villagers.
He said his people were now taking turns guarding the 2km waterway to their farms, for fear someone would steal their water.
Ayutthaya governor Cherdphan na Songkhla yesterday declared five more villages in Phachi district drought affected, bringing the total area of land affected in the district to more than 1,000 rai.
He said 51 families in tambon Phra Kaew were suffering.
Despite the water shortage, soaring rice prices are driving farmers to grow off-season crops, he said.
The Irrigation Department announced it will reduce the discharge from the Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat province, which is now at 40% of its capacity, to ensure the water supply lasts until the rains arrive.
The department also warned that aggressive diversion of water from the Chao Phraya river to rice fields in Ayutthaya might disrupt tap water production in Bangkok.
Other parts of the country are also feeling the pinch of the dry spell.
In the northern province of Uttaradit, fruit has begun falling prematurely from durian trees in over 20,000 rai of plantations.
In Kalasin, drinking water and a mobile drinking water-production unit were sent to Ban Phu-ngern in Don Chan sub-district, where water has been scarce for over a month.
In Si Sa Ket, 2,678 villages in 22 districts have been declared drought-hit areas.
In Maha Sarakham, the rising cost of animal feed, due to bush fires and drought, has led to farmers selling off their stock, causing prices to drop by half.
In Khon Kaen, governor Panchai Bovornrattanaparon declared the whole province a drought-hit zone, with 1,957 out of 2,327 villages affected.
A budget of 500,000 baht was allocated to each district to repair wells, build dykes and supply drinking water.
In addition to ensuring an adequate supply of water for drinking and agriculture, the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office has offered short-term occupational training and asked police to step up patrols to prevent theft.
Bangkok Post April 4, 2008
But still there are no moves in sight to rather protect groundwater which is mainly held by the roots of trees by halting deforestation or even a commitment to reforestation; everybody wants land for monoculture purposes not minding that he not only reduces the "natural regulation" of water supply by deforestation, indirectly causing floods and draughts.
And politicians prefer to be regarded as the heroes who distribute water etc. instead of taking care of the roots of the problem: stopping deforestation and supporting reforestation.