Water supply plan tipped to expand

Water supply plan tipped to expand

The Environment Ministry is backing a project to help provide each tambon with one million cubic metres of water as part of a plan to provide remote communities with safe and sustainable water.

Environment Minister Vichet Kasemthongsri said the "one-tambon-one-million-cubic-metre-water" project was proposed by the Department of Water Resources to ease water shortages in Northeast villages.

The minister said he would ask his advisory team to look into the possibility of expanding the project nationwide.

"For the first stage, I would like to launch it in places such as Isan where people are in need of water," he said.

Mr Vichet met senior officials from the Water Resources Department on Saturday to push for more efficiency and transparency in the project.

He also called on the department to speed up implementation of a new water law, which is now undergoing public hearings. The hearings are expected to be wrapped up in September.

The department should increase the capacity of its early warning system to better manage water crises, he said.

Department Chief Nitat Poovatanakul said it was almost impossible to construct new reservoirs in the country due to strong opposition from local communities.

Isan, which is comprised mostly of geographic plains, is unsuitable for building dams, he said.

Diverting water from the Mekong River was also not a suitable option due to strong opposition from neighbouring countries.

"The best way [to solve the water crisis] is to build a small reservoir in each tambon to keep water during the dry season," he said.

"We want to have at least one million cubic metres kept in each community."

He admitted, however, the job would not be easy unless local administrative organisations found land to build the reservoirs. He said the minister would need to meet local community leaders to discuss the details of the project.

Each reservoir is expected to cost the department 10 million baht.

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