Thailand calls on manufacturers to cut water usage
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) of Thailand has urged industrial producers to cut water consumption amid the intensifying drought.
Drought in Thailand (Source: VNA)Earlier, the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives called on farmers to switch to plants that need less water and downsize spring-summer crops.
According to an agreement made by relevant private and government agencies and major water consumers, 66 percent of total water from the country's major reservoirs will be allocated for the agricultural sector. Another 7.3 percent has been set aside for the industrial sector, 10.2 percent for personal consumption, 15.4 percent for saltwater intrusion mitigation, and the remaining 0.43 percent for tourism.
A 20-30 percent drop in factories’ water consumption is required from now through to the end of June, when the dry season is expected to end.
The Ministry of Industry said around 500,000 cu.m of waste-water from 2,300 food processing plants will be used to irrigate 8,000ha of agricultural land.
The agriculture sector, meanwhile, is the one most likely to be hit by water shortage, and its effects would ripple throughout the entire Thai economy.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation predicted that Thailand’s rice production will fall around 16 percent this year to 16.5 million tonnes from 19.8 million tonnes.
In another move, the Thai government has decided to add drinking water to the special price control list to protect citizens.
The authorities urged households to reserve drinking water for the drought season, which lasts until May, due to concern over the unavailability of tap water for households in Bangkok and the provinces of Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.-VNA
You should also see
Noi Bai, Da Nang named in world’s top 100 airports
Hanoi capital’s Noi Bai International Airport and the Da Nang International Airport in the central city of the same name have been listed among the world’s top 100 airports in 2024 by the UK–based aviation consultancy Skytrax.
See more
World
Thailand, EU hope to sign FTA in mid-2025
Before the Songkran holiday, senior officials from Thailand and the European Union (EU) met in Bangkok to discuss ways to promote their relationship, including the framework of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), green transformation, and Schengen visa waiver, Thai media has reported.
World
India’s trade deficit with ASEAN widens
India's trade deficit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has more than doubled since the implementation of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) in 2010.
World
Malaysia to cut down on petrol subsidies this year
Malaysian Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has announced that the country will reduce petrol subsidies this year to reduce its fiscal deficit.
World
El Nino thins the only glacier in Indonesia: BMKG
Global warming has played a key role in gradually thinning the glaciers atop Puncak Jaya, Papua, Indonesia, some of the few remaining tropical glaciers in the world, according to Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG).
World
Thailand welcomes over 10 mln foreign arrivals so far this year
More than 10 million foreign tourists have visited Thailand so far this year, bringing in more than 500 billion THB (13.5 billion USD), the country’s Tourism and Sports Ministry has reported.
