The reservoir behind Pasak Jolasid Dam in Lop Buri province is drying up, with water only filling 15% of its capacity, sufficient for consumption and agriculture for about four months.

Chupong Isarat, director of the Pasak Jolasid Dam Water Distribution and Maintenance Project, said that only about 148 million cubic metres of water are left, making it necessary to reduce discharges of water from the reservoir from 3.4 million cubic metres per day to only 1.3 million cubic metres, starting this week, as planned by the Royal Irrigation Department.

Through proper management, he said that the remaining water will be sufficient for consumption, irrigation and for the maintenance of the ecological system for about four months.

Chupong also said that, if the current drought persists much longer, the Royal Irrigation Department will ask the Royal Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department to conduct cloud seeding operations.

He also said that farmers will be advised to delay the next rice crop planting until the arrival of the rainy season, otherwise their crop could be damaged due to a lack of water.

The reservoir behind Pasak Jolasid Dam is one of the four main sources of water feeding farm land in the Chao Phraya river basin, the country’s rice bowl.