About 2,000 villagers from two communities in Nan province have joined hands to repair a weir damaged by forest run-off three years ago, in the face of a looming drought and no official funds to hire labour for the work.
Tambon Silalaeng and tambon Voranakhon in Pua district of the northern province sent teams of local residents to repair the Kaeng weir at Ban Hua Nam in tambon Silalaeng.
The weir is the main water source for the two communities. It collapsed under the weight of surging forest-runoff during the heavy flooding in 2011, said Prasert Moonkham, 60, chairman of the weir committee.
The local communities were badly affected by the collapse because the weir provided water for 2,125 rai of agricultural land in the two tambons. Water could not be efficiently stored, causing water shortages for home use and for farming during the drought period, he said.
Villagers had earlier sought a budget allocation from state agencies for the repair of the weir, but were told there was no funding available.
Their grievances recently drew the attention of the Royal Initiative Discovery Foundation and provincial authorities, which agreed to support provision of construction materials for the repairs. However, the two communities had to provide the labour for the work.
Most residents quickly agreed and offered to work for free, said Mr Prasert. Teams of villagers, each 100-strong, were sent to the weir repair site each day.