BANGKOK, Thailand – Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin has instructed the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to provide emergency assistance to communities affected by severe drought. The primary objectives are to secure water for domestic use, support agriculture, and stabilize ecosystems in high-risk areas.
DWR Director-General Teerachun Boonyasit stated that regional offices have deployed heavy machinery, water pumps, and tankers to affected provinces. These actions have provided direct relief to nearly 4,000 residents in 1,500 households and secured irrigation for more than 1,300 rai of farmland.
Assistance has reached several provinces, including clean water deliveries to temples in Saraburi, support for village water systems in Nakhon Sawan and Surat Thani, and deployment of water trucks in Phang Nga. Additionally, eight schools in southern provinces have received clean water systems to ensure adequate supply for students and local communities.
To support agriculture, water pumps have been installed for farmland in Phitsanulok and Nakhon Ratchasima. Environmental measures also include maintaining water levels in peat swamp forests in Nakhon Si Thammarat to reduce wildfire risk.
The DWR remains on high alert and will continue to closely monitor water scarcity, providing immediate intervention to ensure all households have sufficient water during this dry period. (NNT)
