Mrauk-U’s drainage system to get revamp

By DMG 12 Apr 2022

DMG Newsroom
12 April 2022,Mrauk_U 

The ancient city of Mrauk-U’s drainage system will be overhauled, according to the deputy director-general of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum, U Nyo Myint Tun. 

Local creeks, ditches and canals will be dredged as part of the overhaul, he said, adding that the time frame for the undertaking has not yet been set. 

“We plan to dredge manually, with the help of experts. We won’t use machinery to avoid causing damage to the heritage buildings,” said U Nyo Myint Tun. “Some creeks [that have silted up and become land] are occupied by people, and in that case we will consult with the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems, and redesignate creek areas.” 

In some cases, drainage channels have been filled in with earth by opportunists who have then illegally sold the reclaimed land, he said. The numerous dynamics at play make it difficult to set out a definitive timeline for the process of revamping Mrauk-U’s drainage system, the Archaeology Department official added. 

“We will carry out a field survey in cooperation with the concerned departments before dredging the drainage channels. We will start the work this year, but we don’t know when we will be able to complete it,” said U Nyo Myint Tun. 

Daw Khin Than, chairwoman of the Mrauk-U Cultural Heritage Conservation Association, said the drainage system of the former royal capital is an important aspect of its resilience. 

“Experts say that the drainage system of Mrauk-U is quite ancient and unique. They say Mrauk-U would suffer from floods without those drainage channels,” she said. 

The Department of Archaeology and National Museum is also conducting campaigns aimed at discouraging people from littering into local water sources. 

“If Mrauk-U is to win UNESCO World Heritage Site status, we can’t do it alone. It will be successful only with the cooperation of local residents,” said U Nyo Myint Tun. “Therefore, I would like to urge them to cooperate.”