webfact Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Clouds reluctant to open for parched rice farmsJul 21. 2019 By The Nation Nation photo Urgent measures are being taken in the Thai North and Northeast to irrigate rice paddies during an unusually dry rainy season. In the Northeast, Roi Et Vice Governor Tawee Jongprasert is working with rice farmers of the Kasetwisai Agricultural Cooperative’s branch in Baan Nok Hor to arrange cloud seeding aimed at bringing on rain to relieve severe drought in Thung Kula Rong Hai, an area known globally for its jasmine rice. Co-op manager Boonkerd Phanon said rainfall had been scant for almost three months, affecting more than 9,000 co-op members and 179,000 rai of rice fields. “If it continues through the end of this month, the drought will affect a wider area and will hurt rice harvests next year,” she said. “We hope rainmaking will help the planted rice survive and alleviate the problem.” Wassana Wongrat, director of the Northeastern Royal Rainmaking Operation Centre, said four such centres there were targeting central Isaan, especially Thung Kula, where the drought is the most severe. Rainfall remains low, however, despite cloud seeding being done, as weather conditions have to be favourable. In Si Saket’s Utompornpisai district, farmers at Baan Yang are digging into their own pockets to pay for gasoline to drive a huge water pump borrowed from the Khok Jan subdistrict administrative organisation. The hope there is to revive around 500 rai of fields. In Si Saket alone, drought covers 22 districts and has killed off rice plants across more than 100,000 rai. Attempts are being made there too to create artificial rain, but relatively low humidity is limiting the effort’s success. Mekong River The rain shortage is largely blamed in the El Nino effect, but eight provinces along the Mekong River have also gone dry due to trial runs of the Xayaburi Dam across the river in Laos. They are Chiang Rai, Loei, Nong Khai, Beung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchathani and Amnat Charoen. Farmers in the area witnessed this once before, when tests at Xayaburi combined with reduced discharges from China’s Jinghong Dam, resulting in a dramatic drop in the level of the Mekong. The level has recently risen about two metres at Nong Khai, but the water crisis persists. The exposed riverbed can be seen in some places, becoming something of a tourist attraction, people easily able to walk across to sandbars in what had been midstream. Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30373330 -- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-07-22 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarFlungFalang Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Absolutely pissed down here last night at 10:00pm for an hour and then a steady rain all night and still drizzling at 6:30 am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinchester Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Time to get those rain making planes in the air and prove their worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 4 minutes ago, edwinchester said: Time to get those rain making planes in the air and prove their worth. And a few more pig's heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarFlungFalang Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 12 minutes ago, wgdanson said: And a few more pig's heads. No need the pigs heads they had worked fine,then again we might need more pig's heads for the next lot of rain I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 2 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said: No need the pigs heads they had worked fine,then again we might need more pig's heads for the next lot of rain I guess. They could import them from China where they are having to cull pigs 'cos of flu. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srikcir Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 7 hours ago, webfact said: The rain shortage is largely blamed in the El Nino effect This is where the mistake begins. It is national water mismanagement that should be blamed, not rainfall. That's like the popular Thai excuse for a traffic accident where the vehicle or the road and not the driver is blamed. I understand the ceremonial sanctity of a Royal Rainmaking Air Force. But statistically it has as much chance as forcing adequate rainfall in a specific area at a specific time and duration as would prayer. The difference in the approaches is obviously the expense in resources. The former might better be served with being replaced by more investment in water management infrastructure. But I'm sure a water aqueduct wouldn't favor as much national pride as does the RRAF. But pride doesn't sustain a family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotBenz8888 Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 7 hours ago, webfact said: The exposed riverbed can be seen in some places, becoming something of a tourist attraction, Cleaner than Pattaya beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardColeman Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Maybe they could move the rice paddies to the Pattaya sois, always plenty there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almer Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 7 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said: Absolutely pissed down here last night at 10:00pm for an hour and then a steady rain all night and still drizzling at 6:30 am. But where i ask is that ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannork Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 57 minutes ago, Almer said: But where i ask is that ? Yasothon, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almer Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 3 minutes ago, bannork said: Yasothon, I believe. Many thanks, KK still dry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCC1701A Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 latest: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarFlungFalang Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Almer said: But where i ask is that ? About 16kms north of Patiew which is 27kms east of Yasothorn. You can see it on the radar map in the above post. About 150kms Southeast of Khon Kean as the crow flies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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