Kanhtaukgyi townspeople resort to local creek in absence of proper garbage dump

By DMG 03 Jul 2021

DMG Newsroom
3 July 2021, Myebon

With no place to properly dispose of waste in Kanhtaukgyi town, Myebon Township, residents are dumping their garbage along Kanhtaukgyi Creek, according to locals.

“Residents have to throw rubbish in Kanhtaukgyi Creek because there is no place to dump garbage here. I don’t want locals to throw rubbish in the creek,” said Ko Tha Chay, a resident of Kanhtaukgyi town.

U Khin Maung Htay, an officer of the Myebon Township Development Committee, said the municipal office in Kanhtaukgyi town has been closed since September 2020.

“There is no development committee in Kanhtaukgyi town and no one will work here. We don’t know why the development committee was disbanded,” he added.

“Since there’s been no place to dump garbage since the previous development committee, the locals throw rubbish in the creek,” said a resident who declined to be named. “Now the situation in Kanhtaukgyi Creek is very bad. The creek is getting shallower. We used to swim in the creek when we were young, but now it is full of rubbish and the smell is bad.”

Locals are also worried that the fumes from the garbage dumped along the creek banks will be harmful to their health.

In the absence of a development committee in Kanhtaukgyi, there will be awareness campaigns carried out, said U Kyaw Kyaw Naing, the town’s administrator.

“We urge residents to dispose of their waste without harming the environment. Kanhtaukgyi Creek is very full of garbage, and we have convened a meeting to address this issue,” he explained.

U Kyaw Kyaw Naing said it was difficult for him to talk about the re-establishment of the development committee in Kanhtaukgyi town.

According to data from the General Administration Department, there are 11,340 people, 2,569 households and 2,165 houses in Kanhtaukgyi town.