BANGKOK, 19 September 2011 – His Majesty the King today granted an audience to agricultural and irrigation officials led by Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives who presented him a progress report of 5 major development projects of water sources at His Majesty’s initiatives.
The Royal Irrigation Department has carried out water sources development projects at His Majesty the King’s initiatives in all parts of the country. Those successfully carried out and yielding benefits to the people include the Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam in Nakhon Nayok province, a multi-purpose dam that irrigates up to 185,000 rai of agricultural land, eases flood over a large area, with a capacity to generate 10 megawatts of electricity, or 28 million units a year.
Other projects are the Pak Phanang Basin Development Project, covering Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces, the Kam River Basin Development Project in Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom province, the Khwae Noi Bamrung Daen Dam in Phitsanulok province, and the Upper Lam Phayang River Basin Development Project in Kalasin province.
His Majesty the King commended irrigation engineers and related officials for their sincere efforts in carrying out water sources development projects. He cited the Khun Dan Dam Project as an exemplary major project using the most modern technologies available, and yielding high benefits to the people, thus gaining their support from the beginning. He remarked that such a project in the central region looked unlikely as the area was hard to find and limited by physical development in the surroundings. At its completion, several central provinces benefit from the dam.
The Royal Irrigation Department has set up a special agency to effectively administer water sources in accordance with His Majesty the King’s initiatives, by using new technologies and inducing full participation of local residents.
