Minbya residents complain of water shortages

By DMG 23 Dec 2022

DMG Newsroom
23 December 2022, Minbya

Faced with water shortages annually during the hot season, local residents in Arakan State’s Minbya have called on authorities to supply water from all three reservoirs in the town.

Of Minbya’s three reservoirs, only the two smaller reservoirs had been supplying town residents. Moreover, pipelines drawing from one of the two reservoirs were damaged in the latest fighting between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) in Phalaung Pyin Village, so that only one reservoir is currently supplying residents.

The majority of wards in Minbya town are facing water shortages, said one resident.

“In some wards, residents have to use water from ponds they have dug. Last year, we received water from Phalaung Pyin and Gayingyaing reservoirs. Though it was not sufficient, we could make do. We don’t know what will happen if the Phalaung Pyin reservoir can’t supply water,” he said.

Residents who are still being supplied by the Gayingyaing reservoir say even they do not receive a sufficient water supply.

“Water comes very slowly,” said Minbya resident Daw Aye Khin Saw. “And the municipality does not supply at fixed hours, but rather at any time of the day they want. Sometimes, we are not aware when the water comes, and therefore forget to pump water.”

Minbya residents have called on authorities to supply water from the Myaunggyi reservoir, the biggest of the three reservoirs in the town.

Another resident said: “Wards close to Gayingyaing have good flow of water to their taps, but water flow to distant wards is slow. So, municipal officials should act immediately to supply water from other reservoirs.”

Meanwhile, residents from villages in the vicinity of the reservoirs also complain that they do not get water from them.

“We faced serious water shortages last year,” a resident of Phalaung Pyin Village complained. “Why is water so scarce while we have a large reservoir that can supply the entire town? Last year, we had to fetch water from other villages by bike.”

DMG was unable to contact Minbya Township municipal officials for comment on the town’s water supply situation.