Even though his twelve rai of paddy fields, the only source of income for his entire family, are now submerged and severely damaged by water being frantically pumped out from Tham Luang cave during a mission to rescue 13 boys trapped inside, Pairoj Jan-in, a farmer who live nearby the cave, is delighted and proud of his small, but significant contribution to battling the rescue operation's main enemy, water. “Rice can be grown again, but the lives of 13 people cannot be brought back. Being a father and grandfather myself, I’m worried about the well-being of these boys as they are my own children and I really want them to be safely rescued out of the cave as soon as possible,” a 60-year-old farmer said. Pairoj is one of over 100 farmers who sacrifice their farmlands to help the rescue bid. According to authorities, the large amount of water diverted from the cave has flooded more than 1,400 rai of farmland in four tambons of Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai District — Pong Pha, Pong Ngam, Si Mueang Chum and Ban Dai. Nineteen high-powered pumps are now installed inside the cave to reduce the water level, which has come down by one centimetre each hour. More than 128 million litres of water have been sucked out of the 10-kilometre-long cave and flooded the lowlands surround the area since Monday. The excess water has been funnelled onto nearby fields, streams and hastily dug underground wells. Nual Patukarn, 66, another affected farmer in tambon Pong Pha, said this unnatural flood costs him more than 250,000 baht overnight, however he was not upset and had voluntarily let his farm be flooded to help the rescuers save the group stranded inside the cave. “I won’t deny that this amount of money is important for me, but money should not be the most important thing in life and I believe other farmers in the areas also are feeling the same as me. Everybody now focuses on getting the boys and their coach out of the cave, everything else comes second,” he said. As gratitude for the farmers’ dedication, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has announced its intention to pay compensation to all farmers affected by the rescue operation. Meanwhile, it has also instructed the Department of Rice to assist the affected farmers with the use of proper farming technology after the water has subsided, and urgently assess the damage to help the farmers with rice seedlings. According to Deputy Director-General of Rice Department Suwat Jearakongman, some of the damaged farms which have been in an early stage of farming can be replanted with other types of rice which are more resistant to cold climate and are less sensitive to light, while some technique can be implemented to maintain the quality of rice during harvest season. Somsak Saichuen, 52, a rice farmer in tambon Pong Ngam, said officials from Provincial Agricultural Office have already come to his farmland to survey the situation and provided some assistance. “They have promised to pay 1,000 baht per rai as compensation for us. Although the amount may not cover all the damage, it’s still better than nothing. I think this is the time that everyone needs to show a spirit of dedication and sacrifice,” he said. Published caption : Nual: Lost 250,000 baht overnight