Cabinet sets aside over Bt500m for last of Rasa Salai Dam victims
AFTER FOUR decades of protesting against Rasi Sala Dam and suffering the consequences, the woes of villagers in Si Sa Ket, Surin and Roi Et are finally coming to an end after the Cabinet approved Bt599.97 million for their compensation, Royal Irrigation Department (RID) deputy chief Manas Kamnerdmanee said yesterday.
He said RID will check the farms covered by the compensation and pay Bt32,000 per rai of affected land within two years.
The department – which in 2002 took the dam project over from the Energy Ministry – will help the committee, chaired by Deputy PM Prajin Juntong, which is tasked with providing aid to affected residents.
Manas said RID will conduct a technology-assisted demarcation survey to ensure farmland boundaries are accurate to determine entitlement and complete compensation payments.
He said RID will check the farms covered by the compensation and pay Bt32,000 per rai of affected land within two years.
The department – which in 2002 took the dam project over from the Energy Ministry – will help the committee, chaired by Deputy PM Prajin Juntong, which is tasked with providing aid to affected residents.
Manas said RID will conduct a technology-assisted demarcation survey to ensure farmland boundaries are accurate to determine entitlement and complete compensation payments.
From 1997 to 2017, up to Bt1.927 billion has been paid in compensation to farmers for 60,000 rai (9,600 hectares) of affected land. This final package will cover 8,469 rai (1,355 hectares) of land affected by the dam.
Since the Rasi Salai Dam was constructed in the Mool River in 1994, farmers have been affected by widespread flooding, which led to a grassroots uprising and a nationwide call for social and environmental impact studies before major projects are approved.
Over the past 25 years, the Rasi Salai Dam Assembly of Poor triggered a movement that forced the authorities to accept the need for the public sector and citizen organisations to jointly solve problems and improve the quality of life in affected communities.
