BANGKOK, Nov 6 (TNA) — Kobsak Pootrakool, Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office said that the government has plans to construct 60,000 check dams within the next five years.
The first 6,000 of these 60,000 small dams which the government calls ‘Living Check Dams’ will begin begin to be constructed in 2019 with an estimated cost of 50,000 baht each.
Several departments such as the Forestry Department and the Department of National Parks, Plant and Wildlife Conservation will have to be actively involved in order to identify and allocate the use of suitable protected lands and overcome any procedural formalities. The private sector on the other hand will provide the financial support for the project.
Mr Kobsak stated that the ‘Living Check Dams’ will be community based projects that will require minimal financial support from the government. Sand bags will be used to construct steps up from, and into streams and small rivers without hindering fish from swimming up or down stream to breed.
These constructions will be reinforced by planting banyan trees that will act as hinges along riverbanks. The roots of banyan trees will help fortify the dams and after a period when more plants take hold, a verdant and lush natural habitat will be created that will not only provide an alternative water source during dry seasons but also help to reduce the impact from severe flash floods in rainy seasons.
There are currently 815 check dams all around the country. The reason there are so few is due to red-tape involved in securing permission to allowing lands, which are almost entirely national park lands, to be used for the construction of these dams. (TNA)
