AYUTTHAYA, 13 Feb 2015 – Ayutthaya province has injected a budget of more than 30 million baht into a campaign aimed at helping local people survive the drought crisis.
According to Ayutthaya provincial governor Apichart Todilokvej, the budget will mainly be used for the zoning of water management, job creation, and water-economizing agriculture.
Mr. Apichart said the biggest challenge for the province was the need to supply enough water to all affected people. Another challenge is the provision of water for farming.
The governor attributed the drought crisis to farmers’ refusal to heed the Royal Irrigation Department’s ban on off-season rice cultivation during the dry season. Off-season farming in Ayutthaya, which covered 500,000 rai, reportedly caused damage to 100,000 rai of farming areas.
The drought has hit many districts, particularly Ban Phraek district where the Lopburi River has begun drying up. Villagers have been told to brace themselves for a more severe crisis in March and April by preparing clean containers to collect water from the local waterworks units.
