UTHAI THANI, 18 June 2015, Officials at the Thap Salao Dam in Uthai Thani Province reported the reservoir only has 48.65 million cubic meters of water, of which 31.65 million cubic meter is usable.
The usable water must be allocated to Petch Namphueng Village of migrants for consumption and agricultural purposes.
Limited water resources would directly affect the farmers in districts of Lan Sak, Nong Chang, Thap Than, Nong Khayang, and Mueang, where pre-season farming is common.
Agricultural officials have warned farmers in these five districts that planting rice at this time risks water shortages. The dam had been unable to distribute water to the districts for over six months. Uthai Thani is now facing the most severe drought in a decade.
One of the farmers in Thap Than district has been forced to leave his land unplowed for over two years, due to lack of water. The farmer said the canal, which directly connect to Thap Salao Dam, has been dry most of the time. He faces the prospect of losing his farmland to pay off his debts, if he is unable to plant crops again this year.
