The Irrigation Department plans to divert water from a Mekong tributary in

Laos to supply water to Tung Kula Rong Hai, Thailand's most famous jasmine

rice growing area.

Department chief Kijja Polphasi yesterday said a tunnel would be built under

the Mekong river to divert water from the Xe Bang Hiang river, in southern

Laos, to Mukdahan province.

The irrigation departments of the two countries had already agreed to ask

the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) to sponsor a

feasibility study.

``The department will try in every way to protect Tung Kula Rong Hai from a

water shortage because the 2.1-million-rai area is the most suitable in the

country for jasmine rice plantation,'' Mr Kijja said.

He admitted that the department had failed with a practical irrigation

scheme in the Chi-Mun-Siew river basin.

As a result, it was possible that Tung Kula could run out of water in the

near future.

He said the water diversion plan would also benefit farmers in southern

Laos, where floods were severe.

``Xe Bang Hiang River in Laos' Savannakhet province has plenty of water. It

floods around 180,000 rai of farm land every year.

``So, the proposed project will help reduce floods in Savannakhet as well as

provide water to Isan farmers,'' said Mr Kijja.

But Chainarong Sethachue, of Southeast Asia River Network, said the project

could have far-reaching harmful environmental and social impacts on both

countries.

Mr Chainarong said under the project, initially proposed by Japan-based

Sanyu Consultants Inc, a dam would be built on Xe Bang Hiang river.

``The scheme also involves the resettlement of people in many villages in

Savannakhet province. The dam construction would also block the migration

route of fish species that swim upstream from the Mekong to Xe Bang Hiang,''

he said.

Mr Chainarong said diverting large amounts of water to northeast Thailand

would increase the area of saline soil, already a big headache in the

region.

``According to geological studies, the northeast soil cannot absorb water

outside the rainy season. Therefore, farmers will not benefit from an

irrigation scheme. This raises a serious question if a costly water

diversion project is really necessary,'' he said.

A coalition of 17 grassroots and environmental organisations in Thailand

last month sent a petition to the governor of JBIC demanding the

organisation pull out from the project.