A WATER official has warned of a possible water crisis in the future if authorities fail to act to avert this.
Somkid Baupheng, chief of the Ground Water Resources Department, said Koh Samui may run out of freshwater sources since the demand for water is rising yearly due to an increasing population and a growing tourism industry.
There is a need to build an underground dam to maximize the supply of water, Ms. Somkid said, adding that based on a recent survey, the Maret area has been found to have an ample supply of groundwater that can reach up to 13.3 million cubic meters.
The official said that the underground dam project can be built within a year’s time from the start of the project but that it has to have the approval of the people living within the subdistrict.
Suratthani Deputy Gov. Damri Boonjing, expressing his concern over the negative effect of the growing tourism and real estate industries on freshwater resources, stressed the importance of a law requiring land owners to preserve at least 10 percent of their property where water can be tapped.
“There is no water crisis yet, but we are concerned about water resources and the amount of coconut trees being cut down. We will discuss with the municipality the possibility of issuing a municipal law to protect Samui from the threats we fear. We still want Samui to be a sustainable tourist attraction,” Mr. Damri said.
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