Water resources to be registered

The Water Resources Department will set up a new register of sources of water throughout the country under a 200-billion-baht project to improve long-term resource management

Siripong Hangsapruek, director-general of the department, said on Monday existing records show there are about 86,860 small, medium and large sources of water in Thailand.

Registration would be carried out mainly by the Water Resources Department with the participation of local communities and agencies.

It would record the size, location and ecological system of each water resource as well as how the water from it was being used for purposes such as agriculture, household consumption, transport and industry.

The project was in line with His Majesty the King's "monkey cheeks" project to store water in the rainy season for use in the dry season.

Information on water resources would be used for further conservation, rehabilitation and development in areas outside the responsibility of the Irrigation Department.

Mr Siripong said the Bung Boraphet swamp in Nakhon Sawan weas one example of a water  resource which had  not been properly developed and conserved.  About one half of its 120,000 rai had been encroached on.

 The Water Resources Department already has a rehabilitation project at Bung Boraphet, he said.