Bangkok Post : General news
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/17Mar2008_news25.php
Farmers feel pinch from drought
Farmers in the North and Northeast are beginning to feel the pinch from this year's drought, which has already ravaged tens of thousands of rai of farmland.
A looming crisis prompted Deputy Interior Minister Sitthichai Kowsurat to inspect affected areas in Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket and Amnat Charoen provinces yesterday.
Ubon Ratchathani's deputy provincial governor Pramote Sajjarak told the deputy minister that almost 1,400 villages in the province were facing water shortages and that the water level in rivers and natural water sources was alarmingly low.
However, water levels in the Chi river, a major source of water for the Northeast, was still at a normal level for this time of year, he said.
Mr Sitthichai instructed provincial governors to set up drought-relief centres in every province and make sure that each province's 50-million-baht emergency fund was spent appropriately to help drought-affected people.
Eleven out of 17 districts in Surin have been declared disaster areas. The water crisis has reportedly affected 20,000 households and destroyed crops across over 4,500 rai of farmland, causing around 1.8 million baht in damage.
The province's famous "elephant village" in Tha Tum district has also been badly hit by the drought, raising concerns over the health of animals.
In Uttaradit province four districts have been declared disaster zones where some 30,000 rai of agricultural land has already been damaged.
Apiwat Kunarak, chief of the northern region environmental protection office, said northern residents would not only be hit by water shortages, but also possible forest fires and air pollution.
Widespread forest fires would increase the level of small dust particles in the air that could be harmful to residents.
"It is important that locals avoid slash-and-burn cultivation and other burning activities," he said.
The Meteorological Department, however, predicted that this year's drought will not be as serious as last year.
The dry season is expected to end in the first week of May when farmers and villagers hope the rain will return.
