CityNews – 20th April 2020, Charin Kongsricharoen, Director of the Irrigation Department of Chiang Mai, said that his department had added 300,000 cubic metres of water to the Mae Jok Luang reservoir in Mae Rim District which supplies water to the Irrigation Canal.
Due to water shortage in the Wat Umong area of Suthep District many reservoirs are being emptied out to supply crucial water to the public, aid the director. He went on to say that the Irrigation Canal is currently dryer than it has been in a decade, with only 1.4 square litres of water running per second, which is barely a trickle. The municipality’s request for water for the moat has had to be delayed as water for households must be a priority at this time, said the director. 
He went on to explain that with the home quarantining going on this year, people are consuming far more water than normal. If we continue to consume water at this rate, there could be a drought in the coming weeks, he warned. 
While there are still numerous reservoirs and pockets of water to draw from across the area, their levels are dropping to alarmingly low levels, the director urges everyone to use water judiciously and to not waste it at this time. 