Songkran revellers are also being asked to keep in mind the country’s water shortage.

The Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA), which provides tap-water services to most parts of the country, has described the drought as the “worst in half a century”.

“Please save water,” Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya said at a press conference yesterday, joining top executives of relevant organisations.

While insisting that the government did not plan to ban water-splashing activities during the upcoming Songkran festival, he did urge revellers to splash water with moderation because of the limited supply.

Estimates suggest that Chiang Mai‘s water consumption during the upcoming Songkran will be the same as last year. The Songkran festival is always celebrated enthusiastically in Chiang Mai.

Authorities in many provinces have made it clear they will reduce dispensing free water during the Songkran holiday.

Chatchai said the government had been working to cushion the impact of El Nino since last October. He said with efficient management, the country would have adequate water for consumption and ecological purposes until July.

If the rainy season starts in May as usual, the country should be able to avoid a critical situation, he said.

However, given the risk the rainy season might arrive late this year, authorities have placed an emphasis on efficiently managing the remaining water supply.

The water level at 10 large dams, including Ubolrat, Chulabhorn and Mae Ngad, is now seriously low. Agencies plan to either divert water from nearby reservoirs to those dams or draw from their so-called “dead storage”, which are reserves kept to protect the structural integrity of the dams.

In normal situations, dead storage remains untouched.

“We have also come up with plans to dig 6,922 artesian wells. To date, 2,687 wells have been sunk,” Chatchai said.

He also announced that between October 1 last year and March 27 this year, water trucks had delivered more than 546 million cubic metres to drought-hit areas. Rainmaking operations also were conducted in 31 provinces between February 15 and March 27.

PWA acting governor Chompol Chokeponguedomchai said three PWA branches could now release tap water only periodically during the week. Affected areas include Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Nakhon Sawan provinces.

“Moreover, 17 of PWA’s other branches must reduce water volume for tap-water services in the face of the ongoing drought,” he added.

He said saltwater intrusion had already affected sources of raw water at five PWA branches.

The authority is now trying to encourage people to save water and to find alternative sources of raw water.

The Royal Irrigation Department’s director general Suthep Noipairoj said conservation would protect against a severe water shortage.

A source said the Secretariat of the Prime Minister had already set up a committee to supervise the implementation of short-term and long-term water-saving measures.

In Uttaradit’s Nam Pat district, authorities are delivering 18,000 cubic metres of water a day to a local hospital to ensure it can continue normal services in the face of drought.