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dam-l LS: 800 villagers rally to decommission the Rasi Salai dam
Eight hundred villagers rally to decommission the Rasi Salai dam
800 villagers affected by the Rasi Salai dam joined together for activities
as part of the Day of Action Against Dams, for Rivers, Water and Life in
Thailand. An 8-day walk rally from Rasi Salai dam to Sri Sakit Province
took place, about 40 kilometers. The purpose of the walk rally was to
campaign to decommission the dam and increase public knowledge about the
salinazation problems in and around the reservoir of Rasi Salai dam.
The walk rally was started on March 7, 2000. After they campaigned within
the town of Rasi Salai for 2 days, on the 9th they submitted a letter to
the Chief of Rasi Salai district, demanding that the government
decommission the dam by opening the dam's gates and stopping the
construction of the dam's irrigation system. They also sent a sample of
soil, which contained salt from the area around the reservoir, and saline
water from the reservoir to the government.
Between the 9th and 13th, the villagers came together for a walk rally to
Sri Sakit Province. On the way, they distributed fact sheets regarding the
problems of salinization, and also spoke with the local communities about
this problem. They also talked with the villagers who would be affected by
the Hua Na Dam, another dam in the Kong-Chi-Mun water diversion project
which is currently under construction. This dam is also located on top of a
salt dome, and the villagers affected by Hua Na Dam can learn from the
experiences of the Rasi Salai villagers. The villagers participating in the
walk rally also tasted the salinated soil and water.
Today, the walk rally will reach the outskirts of Sri Sakit city. At night,
they will camp just outside the city, and during the day will campaign
within the city. On the 15th of March, they will hold a seminar with the
middle class. On the 16th they will send a letter, and a sample of saline
water and soil which contains salt to the Thai Prime Minister, passed
through the Provincial Governor.
The salinization problems at Rasi Salai dam are growing more serious. The
villagers at Ban Ta Ngam, Ban Lao Kao in Phon Sai District (which is
located beside the reservoir) have had firsthand experience with this.
While pumping water from the reservoir to use in the second rice cropping,
they discovered that it caused their rice to die. The villagers in the
Rathanaburi District have also found salt deposits in their fields, causing
the grass and other plants to die.
************************************************
Chainarong Sretthachau
Southeast Asia Rivers Network(SEARIN)
25/5 Moo 2 Soi Sukhapibarn 27
Changkhien-Jed Yod Road
Chang Phuek
Muang
Chiang Mai 50300
Thailand
Tel/Fax: (66) 53-221157
Email: searin@chmai.loxinfo.co.th