The government will spend 51 million baht to dig underground wells to help central-region residents offset the adverse effects of the ongoing drought.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan said Tuesday that the Groundwater Resources Department budgets annually for aid to northern and northeastern villages facing repeated droughts.
This year, the department will shift funds to provinces along the Chao Phraya River, which have currently are suffering from severe water shortages.
The ministry expects to use its remaining budget of 51 million baht, said Gen Dapong after attending a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Under the plan, the Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry will identify locations for new groundwater wells while the Groundwater Resources Department will consider their suitability.
However, Gen Dapong said dam water was still the most important method of solving the drought problem, as groundwater could only be a supplement.
The Groundwater Resources Department is quite confident that there is underground water in the Chao Phraya basin, but the strength of water flow would depend on location.