Drought is ravaging the kingdom once again, leading the retired general slash coup-maker slash prime minister to urge everyone to do their part by using water wisely.
Prayuth Chan-o-cha said yesterday at a press conference that his government will devise changes to water management to deal with the growing crisis that has left 15 of the country’s major water reserves critically parched.
“Please rest assured and be confident in the government,” Gen. Prayuth said. “And please harmoniously save the water. Use the water wisely. Don’t waste it.”
Whether that message was filtered down through the bureaucracy to the legions of city workers who regularly give the roads a good soaking remains to be seen. A City Hall declaration that construction would be halted citywide to reduce air pollution seems to have resulted in fuck all being done.
According to Prayuth, the government late last month asked China to help discharge more water into the Mekong River through the dams that have choked off the water supply and are strangling downriver nations. We’re sure he asked very nicely.
The amount of rainfall in all regions through May is once again predicted to fall short, this year 3% to 5% below normal, according to the Meteorological Department.
The drought has left fields parched, contributed to the drying of the Mekong, killed marine life, exposed at least one sunken temple, and been blamed for Bangkok’s stanky water situation.
Related:
Worshipers throng to sunken temple after it reappears in Thailand (Before/After Photos)
Fish outta water: Reservoir giants killed by Thailand’s drought (Video)
Parched Mekong reduced to puddles as drought threat builds (Video)
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