The government plans to utilize abandoned mines in northern provinces as reservoirs under a sustainable water management project to tackle flooding and seasonal drought.
According to Surasri Kidtimonton, Secretary-General of the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR), abandoned mines in Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces will be used as reservoirs for retaining water to supply local communities and farmers affected by drought, as well as protecting them from floods during the rainy season.
The secretary-general explained the potential of the project by citing two abandoned mines in Tambon Dong Dam in Lamphun province. He said the two mines have a combined capacity to supply water to farmers across up to 7,482 rai of farmland, which generally requires 9.3 million cubic meters of water every year.
The secretary-general said officials are assessing the old mines in these two provinces to ensure safety if these sites are used as water sources for the agricultural sector, with a pilot project to be carried out to convert one of Lamphun’s mines into a reservoir. If the project is successful, other locations will be included in the initiative.
The secretary-general added that the project is one of multiple water-management projects planned over the next 20 years. These projects aim to retain 951 million cubic meters of water for use to supply 3.8 million rai in residential and agricultural areas. (NNT)
