BANGKOK, Jan 10 (TNA) – The government has opened a national command center to fight drought while begging rice farmers to refrain from off-season cultivation.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon is the director of the command center at the Office of the National Water Resources on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok. The cabinet resolved to set up the command center on Jan 7.
The command center comprises four parts for direction, prediction, water management and public relations. It is aimed at offering swift assistance to victims and handle water-related crises.
Gen Prawit said he had to seriously ask rice growers to refrain from off-season cultivation in the dry season because the country had to save as much water as possible for consumption and ecosystems. The government would promote the cultivation of plants that consumed less water instead, he said.
Regarding the existing off-season paddy fields covering about 3 million rai, Gen Prawit said the government would see what it could do with presently limited water reserves but it had to prioritize people’s consumption.
He also stressed the necessity for people to minimize water consumption. The government allocated a budget for the drilling of about 500 artesian wells and water retention areas nationwide to cope with water shortages, he said. (TNA)
