NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Drought has been the major concern at the Upper Moon dam in Khon Buri district -- where there has been almost no rain for about six months.
Farmers on tens of thousands of rai downstream depend on the dam having enough water to irrigate their crops throughout the rest of the growing season.
Chakkri Yingcharoen, chief of the Upper Moon irrigation area, said yesterday the water level in the dam has fallen to about 50% of capacity.
While this was not yet alarming, after six weeks with almost no rain falling on the watershed area to top up the reservoir, steps would have to be taken to cope with the situation, he said.
"I was informed on Aug 7 a royal rainmaking operation has started," Mr Chakkri said.
If successful, artificial rain, generated by a fleet of small planes seeding clouds above areas hit by drought, would raise the level of the reservoir, allowing the dam to support the network of irrigation canals that feed 47,000 rai of cropland.
The dam has been supplying water to farmers since early July. "We need to continue the job until the end of the crop season in late October," Mr Chakkri said.
