Water woes plague Mrauk-U’s Latsay Lake and the locals who rely on it

By Admin 14 Sep 2023

DMG Newsroom
14 September 2023, Mrauk-U

The water from Latsay Lake, which supplies water to residents of Mrauk-U, Arakan State, is reportedly polluted and is not suitable for locals to use.
 
Mrauk-U residents say the water from Latsay Lake has a foul odour, and is rust-coloured.
 
“The water coming out of the pipe has a bad colour and bad smell, so even if you use it, you have to filter it twice before using it. Drinking water from Latsay Lake can be dangerous for people,” said U Aung Than Tun, a local man in Mrauk-U.
 
Some people who have used the water from Latsay Lake, which is the main water supply to the urban areas of Mrauk-U, report suffering from skin diseases and itching.
 
Residents are demanding action from township municipal officials.
 
“The water from Latsay Lake is completely unusable and has a yellow, rust-like tint. When I washed my hair with this water, the smell from the tap was overwhelming,” said Ma Myo Aye Thwe, a local woman from Taungyat Ward in Mrauk-U.
 
The bottom of the lake is a bed of mud several feet thick, making it difficult to say exactly how polluted the water is, according to the township municipality.
 
“In Latsay Lake, the mud is thick and submerged. Locals say that the water in this lake is like this at this time. Locals say that [in the past], the lake’s water has eventually cleared up,” said U Kyaw Maung Aye, an executive officer from the township municipality.
 
U Kyaw Maung Aye added that since Latsay Lake is within an historical jurisdiction, additional permissions and considerations are involved in any major effort to clean it up. 
 
“Currently, there are no plans to dredge this lake,” he told DMG. “The lake can be dredged only after people submit their requests to the government and get permission. We also need to seek permission from the Department of Archeology and National Museum to dredge this lake because it is located within the confines of an ancient area.