“No one destroyed the dam as reported,” he said.

The group reportedly claimed that they destroyed the gate on the order of water distribution and maintenance officials since the gate caused a water shortage for downstream villagers.

One group filed a complaint against the other group, calling on officials to investigate the complaint.

Thongplaew said irrigation officials checked the complaint and found that the building that was torn down was a concrete dam that maintained the water in each irrigation canal at consistent levels.

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Since the water shortages hit the area, the people in downstream areas have not received water.

Some villagers also sneaked into the area to open and close the gate without waiting for their turn to receive water.

Officials have tried to solve the problem by pumping water to increase the water level so it reaches the downstream area.

They also reduced the height of the dam by breaking its top part so that the water reaches the downstream areas.

Suthep Noipairot, director-general of the Irrigation Department, said that a total of 2.12 billion cubic metres of water had been released from the four major dams of the Chao Phraya River basin since November last year to yesterday.

If 18 million cubic metres of water are released from the four dams per day, the water would be enough for consumption and ecological purposes until July.

More than 1.9 million rai of paddies have been planted with off-season rice, 823,000 rai have been harvested and 1.1 million rai have yet to be harvested.

The figure shows less off-season rice than last year because officials have campaigned against off-season rice planting.

Many rice farmers joined the governmen’s projects to reduce water consumption.

Water supplies under the department’s management would definitely be enough for consumption till July.

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives aims to increase the rice paddies covered by disaster insurance to 3 million rai or 200,000 farmers this year from 1.5 million rai and 92,000 farmers last year.

The policy includes protection against floods, heavy rain, drought, storms, typhoons, cold weather, hail storms, fire and outbreaks of crop diseases.

Luk Wajjananawat, a bank manager, said the National Reform Council would pass a law that would make insurance for agricultural produce a permanent scheme like in foreign countries.

The insurance scheme will help increase the financial stability of farmers and reduce uncertainty in agricultural production.

The council is studying suitable insurance schemes of various countries.