A budget of 256 million baht has been approved to dig more small wells in non-irrigated areas to help people in the provinces cope with imminent drought next year.
The Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry will be responsible for the project, which involves digging the wells at the cost of 20,300 baht each, 87.68% or 17,800 baht of which was subsidised by the central budget and the rest by land owners.
From October 2014 to September this year, 56,206 small wells were dug across the country, said Prime Minister's Office spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Saturday.
Each well can hold 1,260 cubic metres of water that can be used to raise fish while vegetables can also be grown around the mouth, Maj Gen Sansern said.
Other measures that have been carried out to prepare for the drought are making rain to fill dams, building water retention areas, or kaem ling, and improving water-discharge management.
"We still urge people to use water economically and refrain from discharging waste into waterways. Farmers should also switch to plants that need less water," he said.
