NAKHON RATCHASIMA: The Royal Irrigation Department is confident there is enough water in storage reservoirs throughout the country for home consumption this dry season following torrential rain brought by tropical storm Noul.
However, more rain is needed to ensure adequate supplies for farm irrigation.
Director-general Thongplew Kongchan said on Monday that runoff from storm Noul would continue to flow into major reservoirs over the next two days.
ฺThere would be sufficient water for home consumption throughout the dry season, he said.
However, another storm was needed to ensure the farm sector has enough water.
Major reservoirs now store a total of 46.88 billion cubic metres of water, or half their total capacity, according to figures supplied by the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute on Monday.
Mr Thongplew warned farmers who rely on water from Lam Sae Dam in Khon Buri district of Nakhon Ratchamisa that the level at the dam remains low.
Although most dam reservoirs in the country were now about half full, Lam Sae was at only 17%. This was a critical level, the institute warned.
Storm Noul brought heavy rain that caused flooding and disruption in many provinces, with the northeastern region taking the brunt of it.
Flooding was reported in 20 provinces. One man died under a tree brought down by the storm in Ranong, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported.