The Department of Mineral Resources has discovered that land at the Nong Rang Village in Nakhon Ratchasima province's Non Thai district was subsiding because salt factories were overusing underground water.
Natural Resource and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti is expected to inspect the site today and listen to the residents' complaints.
A month ago a 20-metre wide, 10m-deep sinkhole opened up in a tapioca farm followed by another 6m-wide, 10m-deep sinkhole on Tuesday, prompting fear among the locals.
Provincial geologist Sunthorn Bang-ngeum said initial inspection showed that the first sinkhole had resulted from too much underground water being pumped out. The department has announced that the water usage be controlled otherwise more sinkholes would be opening up.
Sunthorn said his office had notified related agencies and the Non Thai district chief to urgently seek solutions to the problem.
Thanongsak Thiengtae, the provincial industry office's chief of the primary industries and mines division, was expecting an official report later yesterday, and said he would take immediate action by either strictly controlling or even banning salt factories from pumping out underground water. He added that his office would dispatch officials to see if any salt factories were overusing the underground water and take legal action on the wrongdoers.
