Bangkok Post. July 2, 2003. by Nila Singkhiri
All eight sluice gates at the Pak Moon dam were
opened yesterday, and will stay open for four months.
The opening was in line with the Jan 14 cabinet
resolution that all gates be opened from July to October each year.
The Electricity Generating Authority (Egat) said the
four-month opening of the gates would cause it to lose 352 million baht in
revenue from power production.
Villagers living near the dam disagree with the
cabinet resolution. They want the opening and closure of the gates to be
based on the level of the Moon river.
Somjit Naluam, a leading villager from Hua Hiew
village in Khong Chiam district, said the gates should have been opened
ahead of schedule to allow fish to spawn.
He also said the release of more than 50 million
fish and shrimp into the river was a waste of money as the opening of the
gates would force a large number of fish to travel downstream to the
Mekong river. Earlier, opponents of the dam had demanded the year-round
opening of the dam's eight sluice gates.
