From: mptj@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Bangkok Post Dec 22: Bangkok assured of enough tap water
Date: 23 Dec 92 22:36:47 EST
Distribution: soc
Organization: Cornell University

In article <9212211705.AA10315@ipied.tu.ac.th>,
kamol@ipied.tu.ac.th (Kamol Hengkietisak) writes: 
> 
>  
> THE Metropolitan Waterworks Authority yesterday assured Bangkok
> residents of uninterrupted water supplies during the dry season next
> year.
>  
> But, in a sobering note, the authority said the supplies could only be
> assured at the cost of farmers who will be unable to plant a second
> rice crop next year.
>  
This is terrible. You cannot simply take the ground from beneath the farmers'
feet. If there has to be a gradual transition from farm water to tap water, it
should be done over a period of a few years and as part of a complete program 
that finds alternative or additional income sources for the farmers. The 
easiest thing to do is to cut the water supply to the people who are less able
to raise their voices and demonstrate, and give it to those who are stronger
socio-economically. If the people of Bangkok have a sense of brotherhood
towards their fellow farmers they will demonstrate about this. If they don't,
they will increase the gap between them and the rest of the country, not
only economically, but also in terms of what the farmers will do the next time
when Bangkokians are being murdered on the streets while trying, as they felt
last May, to fight for a better Thailand for ALL Thais. If everybody is in 
this together, everybody should support the other person's cause. 

Anyway, I am sure there are other solutions except cutting the water supply.
Thailand has an abundant supply of water, and if managed well, it should be
enough for everyone. If cutting the supply is still necessary, it should
be recognized that this is because of insufficient preparation on the part of
the water authority, and that the authority should be responsible for the
losses the farmers will suffer as a result of its own misactions. The heads
of the authority or who ever is responsible for the situation should accept
their responsibility as public servants. 
 





> The MWA said the Irrigation Department had agreed to allocate 1,000
> million cubic metres of water from the Sirikit and Bhumibol dams next
> year for tap water supplies to Bangkok.
>  
> MWA Chairman Chaiwat Hutacharoen said the water reserves behind the
> country's two major dams, Sirikit and Bhumibol, had fallen to 5,000
> million cubic metres.
>  
> The setting aside of the 1,000 million cubic metres for Bangkok will
> mean farmers will be barred from planting a second rice crop.
>  
> The MWA is expected to boost its daily tap water output from the Bang
> Khen water plant, providing 1.2-1.4 million cubic metres, when it
> reopens next February after repairs to its underground water tunnel
> are completed.
>  
> Mr Chaiwat said the increased output would return water supplies to
> subscribers in outlying areas to normal after lengthy repair work
> required the temporary closure of the tunnel.
>  
>  The closure led to a drop in water pressure in remote areas.
>  
> The MWA closed its main underground water tunnel several months ago to
> repair leaks.
>  
> Mr Chaiwat said the authority originally planned to resume normal
> operations in March but the repairs are now expected to be finished a
> month earlier.
>  
> He said the MWA was expected to boost production from the Bang Khen
> plant from one million cubic metres to 1.2-1.4 million cubic metres
> once the repairs were completed.
>  
> The overall production output for Bangkok from the different plants
> will increase to 3.7 million cubic metres a day next year, a rise of
> 400,000 cubic metres.
>  
> The MWA is investing 30,000 million baht over five years to 1997 to
> build a canal which will draw water from Mae Klong River to supply its
> new production plant in Taling Chan to further boost tap water
> supplies in Bangkok.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai