Over 150 Kyauktaw villagers face displacement as Kaladan River erodes banks

By Admin 21 Sep 2026

DMG Newsroom

21 September 2026, Kyauktaw

Severe riverbank erosion along the Kaladan River has left more than 150 residents of Apaukwa Village in Kyauktaw Township facing acute shelter and livelihood hardships, according to local sources.

Currently, more than 30 households comprising over 150 individuals are living in cramped, temporary shelters built on land owned by relatives and acquaintances, with urgent relief assistance needed.

"There is no land allocated for relocation," a local male resident of Apaukwa said. "As a result, displaced families are staying in overcrowded conditions at relatives' homes. We face extreme difficulties with both shelter and daily sustenance."

During the monsoon season, swift river currents and riverbank erosion along the Kaladan River cause residential houses along the bank in Apaukwa Village to collapse annually.

On September 15, strong currents in the Kaladan River washed away six houses, while several additional homes remain at immediate risk of collapsing, causing widespread fear among residents.

"There are houses where cracks have already appeared in the ground, and parts of structures are dangling over the water," a local Muslim woman said. "If the river current strengthens, more houses will collapse. We live in constant fear."

Similarly, riverbank erosion along the Kaladan River has affected Oakkyut and Akhasar villages in Kyauktaw Township, leaving additional residents in distress without secure shelter.

Villages situated along the Kaladan River suffer severe bank erosion every monsoon season, with previous landslides causing human casualties and structural destruction, according to locals.

In July, riverbank erosion along the Laymyo River in Anjanapura Town washed away at least 18 houses across three urban wards, leaving nearly 40 other homes facing imminent collapse.

Local residents expressed hope that the United League of Arakan (ULA) will implement systematic measures to mitigate riverbank erosion risks and arrange suitable housing plots for families whose homes have been destroyed.