Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has blamed past policies that
heavily promoted cash crops as a root cause of floods and drought.
Commenting in the latest government's newsletter, Gen Prayut
Commenting in the latest government's newsletter, Gen Prayut
said
growing cash crops without controls leads to the
destruction of forests and
watershed areas, and even affects
weather patterns, given changes to the environment.
Therefore, his government will stop the
destruction with new
policies aimed at "restoring balance through
responsible
water usage".
The premier's comment, made as the country is struggling
The premier's comment, made as the country is struggling
against a sharp drop
in water in both natural and man-made
sources, is another effort to convey the
seriousness of water
scarcity to farmers and households while at the same time
providing
assurances that authorities have plans to cope
with shortages.
This government intends to "change
agricultural behaviour",
wrote Gen Prayut. He said that farmers will be
encouraged
to adopt mixed farming rather than single-crop farming, which
is
common in many crop fields.
Under
a mixed system, farmers can continue growing
cash crops, but they will be urged
to mix other crops and
livestock in the same area.
The government will also
impose zoning regulations on
cash crops such as rubber trees, palms, sugar cane
and
cassava to restrict their farming.
In
the past, Gen Prayut said these crops were not controlled,
causing farmers and
especially businessmen to expand their
farming into forests, a precious
resource that helps the country
regulate water. Floods and droughts then
follow, which are
"difficult to prevent and thus leave governments as the
only
option to find solutions", he said.
Gen Prayut stressed the policies
carried out by his government
will mainly serve long-term water management.
In
the short term, he believes there is no better method than
conservation.
The
Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA), which
produces tap water for Bangkok
and neighbouring provinces,
has responded to Gen Prayut's policy by reducing
its water usage.
Next month, the MWA will further reduce the
amount of water
pumped from the Chao Phraya River. This will generate
a 10%
savings, said MWA governor Thanasak Watanathana.
His agency is also planning to ask the cabinet to approve
His agency is also planning to ask the cabinet to approve
a 45-billion-baht
budget for new tap water development.
The plan includes an increase in water
production at Khlong
Mahasawat, a canal that uses raw water from the
Mae Klong River to
produce tap water for the west of Bangkok.
The
objective is to divert tap water from Khlong Mahasawat
to the east of the
capital which relies on tap water from
the Chao Phraya, currently receiving
less water from the
major dams, said Mr Thanasak.
News,Politics,Bangkok Post,29 January 2016.
Drought is one of the serious problem in my
viewpoint.
of mix crops to farmers.
provide should analyze and do carefully also.
Sincerely Yours.
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