BANGKOK, 11 April 2012 – The Cabinet has approved a budget of THB 13 bil for the long-suspended Mae Wong dam project in Nakhon Sawan in a latest bid to deal with natural disaster.
According to Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, the dam is intended to solve flood and drought problems.
Mae Wong dam is part of the Sakaekrang Basin development project which is included in the Fifth National Economic and Social Development Plan (1982-1986). The construction, which is expected to take eight years, will be undertaken by the Irrigation Department.
The Mae Wong project earlier met with opposition from environmental activists who fear thousands of rai of fertile land would disappear.
With a capacity of storing 300 million cubic meters of water, the dam will cover three basins, namely Mae Wong, Khlong Pho, and Huay Thap Salao which merge at the Sakaekrang River in Nakhon Sawan.
The government will speed up six plans prior to the project, including implementation of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study, designation of the construction site and reforestation.
