Minbya municipality struggles to supply water from local reservoir to townspeople

14 Feb 2022

DMG Newsroom
14 February 2022, Minbya 

It remains difficult to supply water from the Phalaung Pyin reservoir to all residential areas in Minbya, some of which are facing water shortages, according to the Minbya Township Development Committee. 

“There are eight wards in Minbya, and Phalaung Pyin reservoir has enough water to supply water to all wards, but it is difficult due to high fuel prices and low pumping capacity,” said U Than Myint, assistant director of the township development committee. “As a result, five wards can only be supplied with water for about five hours a day.” 

“Adequate fuel consumption is needed to supply water to the entire town. The Phalaung Pyin reservoir is about three miles from Minbya, so it is not possible to distribute water to the whole town by a single pumping station. We need another pumping station. If all goes well, we can supply water to the whole town,” he added. 

Water from the Phalaung Pyin reservoir is currently supplied to the five wards of Zay Haung Pine, Ale Pine, Myothit, Okkar Pyan and Pyidawhla via the lone pumping station, he specified. 

The township development committee said it had submitted a request to the Arakan State Administration Council in the first week of February for access to fuel and water pumps, as water is expected to become scarcer in Minbya during the summer months. 

Water from the Phalaung Pyin reservoir is being distributed to residential areas in Minbya as the Garin Kyine reservoir, the town’s main water supply, has been without water since February 10. 

Ko Rakhine Gyi, a resident of Okkar Pyan ward, said that although some water is being supplied from Phalaung Pyin reservoir, there are days when buying supplemental water is necessary because the reservoir is not a reliable or adequate source. 

“We have to pay K5,000 for 1,000 litres of water. Local people who do not have regular access to water have difficulty cooking. I also worry that if I buy and use it, the water will be dirty and I will be unhealthy,” he said. 

“People in Pyidawhla ward have yet to access water from the Phalaung Pyin reservoir,” said local administrator U Thein Tun, in apparent contradiction to the assertion of the township development committee official U Than Myint.  

“We have to fetch water from an earthen lake during the period from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The lake is also expected to dry up soon,” U Thein Tun added. 

DMG contacted U Than Tun, a member of the Arakan State Administration Council, about the water shortage in Minbya, and he said that arrangements are being made to supply water from the Phalaung Pyin reservoir. 

“We are currently working on installing the water pipeline. People in some areas already have water from the Phalaung Pyin reservoir, but we have to work to supply water to the whole town. We have difficulty distributing water to the entire town,” he acknowledged. 

There are three reservoirs and several lakes in and around Minbya town, but locals face water shortages every year during the dry summer months.