Bangkok Post : Water shortage crisis worries King, Queen

Their Majesties the King and Queen are worried about the growing problem of water shortages that is affecting people in several parts of the country.

Their Majesties were also concerned about the likelihood of food shortages, particularly of rice, said Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut.

Privy councillor Surayud Chulanont recently told a meeting of state agencies tackling the drought problem about Their Majesties' concern.

Gen Surayud encouraged all parties to join forces to deal with the problem, the minister said. Provincial centres for monitoring and resolving agricultural disasters were surveying the number of farming areas affected by the drought and reporting the results to the ministry.

The latest report by the Interior Ministry's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation showed that almost 14,000 villages in 36 provinces had been declared drought-stricken areas.

They cover about 118,000 rai of farm land, according to the ministry's report last Friday. In Prachin Buri, sluice gates have been shut to stop sea water intrusions damaging agricultural areas. Surges of seawater had reached a royal project in tambon Bang Taen in Ban Sang district.

The province's irrigation office assured the public the sea water intrusion had yet to affect the province's tap water production.

In the North, farmers in Nan have begun to grow vegetables on the banks of the Nan River, after water shortages damaged vegetables grown on their farm land. The farmers would be able to rely on water from the river only until mid-April, based on current water levels, provincial officers said.

In the Northeast, the summer heat has affected tap water production in Udon Thani.

Tap water has been contaminated with algae and more than 53,000 homeowners have been told the problem could last another week.

The provincial waterworks office said the dry season and strong sunlight had accelerated the growth of algae in raw water and contaminated tap water production.

The office had tweaked its production process to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, air pollution caused by thick smoke and tiny particles of dust from forest and grass fires continues to affect people in the northern part of the country.

The Public Health Ministry said the number of people suffering from breathing problems related to air pollution in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Phayao, Nan, Phrae, Lamphun and Mae Hong Son had risen to almost 100,000.