Pauktaw Twsp villagers suffer diarrhoea, skin diseases due to contaminated drinking water

By Admin 16 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
16 February 2023, Pauktaw

Children and adults in Thae Khon Village, part of Arakan State’s Pauktaw Township, are suffering from diarrhoea and urinary tract infections that locals are blaming on the fact that the village has not had access to clean drinking water since a recent storm hit.

Residents of Thae Khon Village say they have been drinking unclean water ever since the cyclonic storm “Sitrang” hit the village in October 2022.

The villagers of Thae Khon have developed stomach pains, and more than 10 children under the age of 5 have developed diarrhoea, with some having been admitted to the hospital for treatment, according to local residents.

“If the lake is dug, only seawater comes out, so the villagers have to buy drinking water from Gyinchaung Village,”  said U Ba Maung Tun, the administrator of Thae Khon Village. “If the villagers can’t afford to buy drinking water, they have to drink only seawater, causing the children to vomit and develop dysentery. Some children are receiving medical treatment at Sittwe Hospital.”

Thae Khon Village has, for years, suffered from annual shoreline erosion that imposes a heavy financial burden on villagers and threatens the very existence of the settlement. Some 60 houses were reportedly damaged or destroyed by erosion in October.

As a result of Sitrang, seawater entered the ponds used by the villagers, and even efforts to dig new wells have yielded only saltwater.

“As the water is not clean, people who drink it develop sores on their skin. Both children and adults in the village are suffering from skin and diarrhoeal diseases,” said U Sein Hla Oo, a resident of Thae Khon Village.

Some villagers reportedly buy purified drinking water that is shipped from Sittwe by boat, but most of the villagers cannot afford it.

U Maung Ba Tun asked concerned officials to resolve the issue of unclean drinking water in Thae Khon Village and provide healthcare services to the villagers.

“What I would like to request is that the relevant officials come and figure out how clean water can be obtained. Also, I would like to request that the concerned officials build a rural clinic in the village,” the administrator added.

Thae Khon Village, located about 5 kilometres south of the Arakan State capital Sittwe, has around 400 households, with a population of about 2,000 people. Most local residents earn a living by fishing.