Rain-making operations intensify amid severe drought

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NAKHON SAWAN, 28 June 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has intensified its rain-making operations across the country, as the existing water supplies continue to deplete.

Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives Chawalit Chukajorn disclosed that the rain-making operations had begun since April in the central provinces of Kanchanaburi and Lopburi, bringing rainfalls in most of the days the operations were conducted. More than 480 rainmaking flights were launched in the two provinces during the past two months.

The Royal Rainmaking Center meanwhile has stepped up its drought-relief efforts in the Northeast, having five main reservoirs in Nakhon Ratchasima province as its targets. Experts revealed the belated rainy season was badly affecting the general public and the agricultural sector. The current amount of rainfall is only 50 percent of that recorded in the same period last year.

Operations in the North have added rainwater by 16 percent which is still lower than the year-on-year amount by 34 percent. The Northern center said it had planned to summon rain-making aircraft from other centers to boost its rain-refill mission.