Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and his team visited the government inspection area in Chiang Mai province. The official delegation traveled to monitor the progress of the Mae Kuang Udom Thara water reservoir capacity increase project.
Mr. Prapit Chanma, Director General of the Royal Irrigation Department, said that the current demand for water in the Chiang Mai area is gradually increasing while the amount of water in the various reservoirs is still insufficient to meet the needs. Especially at the Mae Kuang Udom Thara Dam where there has been a water shortage generating a shortage of about 137 million cubic meters per year. The Royal Irrigation Department has implemented a project to increase the amount of water in the Mae Kuang Udom Thara reservoir. According to the government authorities of the National Water Administration, this is an important project to solve the problems of water shortage and alleviate flooding in Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces.
For this phase of the project, It was the construction of the first water diversion tunnel from Mae Taeng River to Mae Ngat Somboon Chon Reservoir and the construction of the second water diversion tunnel from Mae Ngad Go down Reservoir to Mae Kuang Reservoir to increase the capacity of Mae Kuang Reservoir in order to secure the distribution of back water throughout the year via the amount of water diverted from the Mae Taeng River when it is in flood during the rainy season which often causes flooding. The use of this excess water will therefore effectively minimize the flooding problem in Chiang Mai City and provide a water reserve for the benefit of all.
At present, the project has progressed by more than 70 percent and the costs incurred will increase the water reserves of the Mae Kuang Udom Thara reservoir by an average of 160 million cubic meters per year. This is the cost of water for agriculture, consumption, industry and ecosystem conservation in the Kuang River basin, helping to increase the stability of water distribution during the dry season, the reservoir will also be able to provide more water to agricultural areas. Importantly, the detour of the river will help to alleviate flooding problems and reduce flood damage in Chiang Mai province. In addition, it will increase the planting area during the dry season making more than 14,550 rai of land cultivable, which will help improve the quality of life of the people living in the areas surrounding the project, leading to a more sustainable life.
The Prime Minister ordered the Royal Irrigation Department to complete the work as planned by 2023, so that the people of Chiang Mai and Lamphun province will have sufficient water available to them.
