Sophon Thongsai, head of the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM-Phuket) inspected the reservoirs to review the situation, said an official report yesterday (Apr 7).
While the Bang Wad Reservoir in Kathu is 25.1% full, with 2.56 million cubic metres of water, the Bang Neow Dum Reservoir in Srisoonthorn is 49.5% full with 3.85mn cubic metres of water. The Klong Kata Reservoir in Chalong is 36% full, with 1.49mn cubic metres of water.
However, despite giving these figures, the report marked that the total water supply reserves in the three reservoirs stood at about 22%.
A working group of officials has been tasked with monitoring the drought situation in Phuket, and a water coordination and management centre has been established to operate during the dry season, said the official report.
“The water coordination and management centre coordinates care, help and facilitates the provision of water to be sufficient for water use, including procurement of groundwater from private mines to serve as a reserve water source to support the drought situation from the lack of rain that is expected to last until mid-May,” the report continued.
“However, we still emphasise and ask for cooperation from people to use water economically and know its value as much as possible so we have water to use throughout the dry season,” the report concluded.
The inspection of the reservoirs by Mr Sophon follows a meeting of the Phuket Provincial Drought Situation Monitoring Working Group last Thursday (Apr 4), chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Sattha Thongkam.
Vice Governor Sattha noted that the Phuket Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office (MNRE Phuket) had identified 2,573 ponds in the area that could be used to supplement water supply, with 1,291 ponds in Mueang District, 521 ponds in Kathu District and 761 ponds in Thalang Distric.
“It is expected that rain will fall in mid-May, but we still ask for cooperation from the people to use water sparingly,” he said.