Farmers protest over flooded fields

More than 100 farmers yesterday rallied in front of the Bang Pla Ma District Office in Suphan Buri over the fivemonthlong flooding in their paddy fields.

The protesters said that their hometowns have been flooded since August 28, and as of yesterday, the water level was still about 1.2 metres deep.

"If flood waters do not drain out soon, we won't be able to work on our fields this year. The wet season is not that many months away," one of the farmers lamented.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after a senior irrigation official, Krissada Sripermphan, explained that more than 100 pumps were now working hard to drain the affected paddy fields.

"All flood water should disappear in 10 days," Krissada promised.

He said it had taken longer to drain flood waters this year because there was an unusually high volume of runoffs from the North last year.

Pheu Thai Lop Buri MP Amnuay Klangpha filed an impromptu motion during a House session yesterday to seek clarification on how the government will manage the 25 river basins across the country this year.

Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut said the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management had developed a master plan and that the government would act on them to manage water issues in upstream, midstream and downstream areas.

Meanwhile, Takbased Bhumibol Dam director Narong Thaiprayoon said his dam was now releasing 62 million cubic metres of water each day. However, he said the volume of water was not directly related to ongoing flooding in Ayutthaya's Sena district.