BANGKOK, 24 June 2015 – All ministries have been told to prepare comprehensive information for the tackling of the drought situation, before the joint meeting of economic ministers.
Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting centered on the drought problem that has caused the dwindling reserve of water, according to deputy government spokesman, Major General Sansern Kaewkumnerd. Only 3.8 billion cubic of meters remain in large reservoirs, whereas the amount of rainwater replenishing the reservoirs has been lower than average. The Cabinet has ordered the agriculture minister and the interior minister to come up with accurate information on groundwater exploitation and to encourage farmers to delay planting rice until the latter part of July.
According to Maj. Gen. Sansern, 1.3 million rai of paddies outside irrigated areas have already been worked on by farmers.
Although highly efficient cloud seeding operations have been conducted, the amount of rainfall is still inadequate. All ministries have been assigned to prepare data for the meeting of economic ministers tomorrow, the spokesman said.
that, During the meeting the Cabinet also approved 1,000 baht per rai of aid money for 37,402 low-income households in the Southeast.
