Severe drought in Nakhon Ratchasima threatens rice farmers

Nakhon Ratchasima faces a severe drought crisis, with newly sown rice fields wilting due to prolonged dry spells. The irrigation department is urgently pumping water to prevent damage to over 1,000 rai of rice seedlings.

The significant drought is particularly felt in the Phimai district. The water allocation officials from the Thung Samrit Irrigation Project, Phimai district, have accelerated efforts to pump water using an electric system.

Located at the Ban Chan Tamra Electric Pumping Station in Tha Luang sub-district, Phimai district, a single pipe is being used to draw water from the Mun River into the irrigation canal. This water is then made available for farmers to pump into their rice fields to counter the effects of the prolonged dry spell that has caused newly sown rice to wilt.

A 59 year old local farmer, Pracim Kaewkamma, shared her concerns. She had invested in planting jasmine rice over ten rai of her farmland. However, from late May to early June this year, despite being the rainy season, the area experienced an unexpected dry spell, leading to the newly sown rice seedlings wilting, with some fields showing signs of stunted growth due to water scarcity.

Irrigation officials started pumping water into the canals to help out local farmers during the prolonged drought period, which is the first time in this rice-growing season. Many farmers installed water pumps to aid the process.

Even though the irrigation officials can only provide water for three days, it’s still a relief to have some water to save farmer’s rice seedlings from dying.

The irrigation department’s intervention aims to mitigate the adverse effects of the drought, which threatens over 1,000 rai of rice fields in the region. By pumping water into the canals, they hope to provide a lifeline to farmers who are on the brink of losing their crops.