Dam-impacted Mekong River communities seek help

[News Bandit]

NONG KHAI, Oct 12 -  The Mekong River basin community network from seven northeastern provinces met Nong Khai governor Wirat Limsuwat today, calling for help to ease the impacts from Chinese dams upstream.

They submitted their findings after researching the planned construction of Laos’ Xayaburi dam, claiming if it is built, it will negatively impact local fisheries, farming and the livelihood of local people in ten districts of seven Thai provinces.

They want the local authorities to recognise the problem and present it to the central government, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, and the Energy Regulatory Commission chaired by the prime minister.

The governor pledged to report their petition to the government and agencies concerned to find solutions to the problem, conceding that the Chinese dams do impact the water level of the Mekong River. 

In September, he said, the water level of the Mekong River in Nong Khai rose when China discharged water from the dam and it rapidly dropped when it stopped releasing the water. (MCOT online news)

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