The water situation at Lam Chae reservoir in Nakhon Ratchasima has improved, as local authorities are taking steps to conserve water for the upcoming dry season. They’ve stopped releasing water and advised farmers to avoid growing off-season rice due to the reservoir being only half full.
The reservoir, located in Khro Buri district, Nakhon Ratchasima, currently holds 155 million cubic meters of water, just 53.71% of its total capacity of 275 million cubic meters. This is a significant drop from previous years when the reservoir was full.
Plans for managing water usage during the dry season include preserving the environment around the reservoir with 38 kilometers of irrigation canals, using 15 million cubic meters. Additionally, 7 million cubic meters will go towards drinking water production, 10 million for agriculture, 1 million for industries, and 15 million for evaporation and seepage. An extra 48 million cubic meters are reserved for the dry season.
Predictions indicate that by May 1, the reservoir will have around 147 million cubic meters of water. Rainfall during that time should provide enough water for farmers to cultivate rice during the rainy season, covering over 98,500 acres.
However, this year, the reservoir needs to halt water distribution for off-season rice and focus on maintaining fruit and economic trees in the Khro Buri district, especially the numerous durian trees.
The El Niño phenomenon caused lower rainfall in the area, reducing water inflow from Thap Lan National Park to 700 millimeters from the annual average of 1,080 millimeters. This scarcity necessitates careful water management. Despite this, there should still be sufficient water for domestic and industrial use this year.
