[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
dam-l LS: Power supply 'may be hit'
Don't believe everything you read...
Power supply 'may be hit'
THE protest at Pak Mool Dam in Ubon Ratchathani could lead to flooding and
power shortages in the province and four other northeastern provinces, the
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) said yesterday.
The four other provinces that could experience power shortages are Si Sa
Ket, Yasothon, Amnart Charoen and Mukdahan, Egat's public relations
director Amnart Chotechuang said.
Khon Kaen province might also be affected, said Ravee Jirasathit, deputy
director of Egat's northeastern operations. Power supply from the dam
accounts for five per cent of the province's demand, Ravee said.
Amnart said the last two of the dam's four generators stopped working at
about 5 pm yesterday due to lack of maintenance. The protesters have denied
Egat technicians access to the generators.
Ubon Ratchathani, which is at the end of the power line, would be the
worst-hit province, he said. A brief power failure had occurred in some
parts of the province on Tuesday evening, he said.
"Another cause for concern is the rising level of water in the Pak Mool Dam
after rainfall over the past days coupled with water released from the Rasi
Salai Dam. The Mool River may overflow and could flood Ubon Ratchathani
town," Amnart said.
Suvit Pumwiangsri, chief electrician at Pak Mool Dam, said yesterday that
the water level in the dam reservoir is currently just two metres below its
maximum holding capacity of 180 metres above sea level.
Three of five water gates have been locked due to mechanical failure and
protesters have denied Egat's maintenance team access to the other two, he
said.
Suvit said plantation areas below the dam would be severely affected if a
large amount of water was released in order to prevent damage to the dam.
Villagers affected by the Pak Mool Dam and those affiliated with the
Assembly of the Poor have refused to budge since taking control of the
dam's power plant on May 15. They are demanding that the government
instruct Egat, which oversees the dam, to open all of the dam's water gates
in order to allow fish to migrate upriver and spawn.
The villagers, most of whom are from fishing communities, claim that the
dam, which was completed in 1994, has damaged their livelihood by
drastically reducing the number of fish in the Mool River.
The dam blocks the migration of fish from the Mekong River who feed and
spawn in the Mool, they say.
About 1,000 protesters remained at Pak Mool Dam yesterday. They issued a
statement in response to the authorities' warning that their protest could
lead to power failures and flooding.
Egat's warning was aimed at discrediting the protesters and pitching them
against other groups of people, they said.
A large banner with the message "No Dams" was hung from a water gate.
A stunt by a young protester nearly led to tragedy yesterday afternoon.
Prayoon Kiatchart was tied to a rope and lowered from the top of a water
gate. He intended to read a statement denouncing the dam but appeared to
suffer from dizziness after dangling and turning about 10 metres above the
water.
Other protesters pulled him up and the stunt was abruptly called off.
Ubon Ratchathani deputy governor Prapas Boonyindee told The Nation
yesterday that he had issued a third warning about possible negative
effects from the ongoing protest at Pak Mool Dam, including flooding and
power failure in some areas.
He said reduced electrical power would result in damage to electrical
appliances, such as refrigerators.
The warning was not aimed at discrediting the protesters, he said,
rejecting a claim by the protesters that he was harassing them.
In Khon Kaen, about 20 representatives of non-governmental organisations in
the Northeast yesterday handed Egat's Ravee an open letter addressed to
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, Egat's governor and Ubon Ratchathani's
governor, calling for authorities to refrain from using force against the
protesters.
The group also called on Ubon Ratchathani authorities to stop what it
called an attempt to invent a pretext for the use of force, such as a
warning that the prolonged protest could lead to widespread electrical
failures.
BY ANAN PAENGNOY and
PHONGSAK BAI-NGERN
The Nation