BANGKOK, 5 March 2011 (NNT)-The 2nd Thai Royal Army has sent water trucks to help farmers in the Northeastern Thailand cope with the dry season.

According to Second Region commander Lt Gen Tawatchai Samutsakorn, 19 provinces in I-San have already been affected by the drought. He stressed that each declared-water crisis province would receive a budget of 50 billion THB to spend on water consumption at their disposal.

Lt Gen Tawatchai said the dry season this year is expected to last longer compared to the year before. Water has been continuously delivered to drought-affected locations while those who seek help can contact the Army’s rescue center. Many farmers have switched to other types of crops that withstand drought better in order to maintain their productivity.

NNT