Saving water daily is key

Saving water daily is key

The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority issued an announcement yesterday assuring the public that tap water in Bangkok and its peripherals will not run dry next month. This was widely feared following the Royal Irrigation Department's plan to stop discharging water from four major dams into the Chao Phraya River in the next 30 days due to critically low levels of water in the dams.

The assurance should give temporary relief to Bangkokians and their neighbours in adjacent provinces that they don't have to rush to buy water tanks to stock up water. But they should not be misled into believing they can throw away water uselessly because they can afford the cheap water fees.

Obviously, most people in Bangkok and other cities are not affected by drought and, therefore, unaware of the plights of their compatriots in rural areas who struggle almost on a daily basis just to get hold of water for consumption and drinking. For farmers, getting water for cultivation or to save their crops from dying in some drought-stricken areas has become a distant dream.

Drought has become almost an annual phenomenon in the past several years due to rain delay and the depletion of water in dams and reservoirs. In some bad years, drought occurred in some provinces months after they were flooded. The disappearance of rain catchment forests due to widespread forest destruction to make way for cash crop plantations has been largely blamed for the twin scourges of drought and flooding.

The drought this year is more serious and potentially more damaging if seasonal rain is further delayed for another month. Seri Suparathit, a water expert of Rangsit University, described the current drought as the worst in 20 years. He blamed the problem on three factors: rain delay; water mismanagement in allowing too much water to be released from the major dams; and El Nino.

Another water expert and former director-general of the Meteorological Department, Dr Smith Thammasaroj, warned the drought situation would become critical in months to come if there is no rain or little rain in the next few months.

Obviously, the government has not been just sitting idly by and waiting for the mercy of Mother Nature. Artificial rain-making efforts to seed clouds have been stepped up, although the results have not been satisfactory, while military personnel have helped out in the digging of artesian and surface wells to provide temporary relief to rural inhabitants.

A comprehensive long-term plan to cope with drought and flooding which should include reforestration as an integral part of the project, not just building dams to store water, is yet to be worked out.

No one can say with authority whether the drought will get worse or if it will taper off because it all depends on whether there is enough rain this month.

The government therefore should have a contingency plan for the worst case scenario. City dwellers should also be warned so they are well-prepared and not panic-stricken if the worst actually happens.

The government should launch a nationwide campaign to create public awareness on saving water, with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha taking the lead. The campaign which started yesterday by the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority is too limited and will have little effect.

Water is fast becoming a scarce resource. Saving water must be a part of daily life, not a temporary measure under drought threats.

Editorial

Bangkok Post editorial column

These editorials represent Bangkok Post thoughts about current issues and situations.

Email : anchaleek@bangkokpost.co.th

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