Water from dam in Manaung Twsp’s Pyin Kauk described as smelling suspect

By DMG 08 Apr 2022

DMG Newsroom
8 April 2022, Manaung

Water from a dam near Pyin Kauk village in Arakan State’s Manaung Township has a bad smell, locals say, making it difficult for residents to use water from certain sources.

The hillside dam was built by the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department in the fiscal year 2019-20 to prevent water shortages in Pyin Kauk village, and water from the dam has been supplied to the village since March of this year.

The water from the dam is smelly, said Pyin Kauk village-tract administrator U Hmat Htin.

“The water from Pyin Kauk Dam stinks. I don’t know why the water smells bad. Water from the dam has been provided to the village for more than a month, but has not yet reached the entire village. There are still homes to be installed with water pipelines,” the village-tract administrator added.

Locals in Pyin Kauk village say they have to use water from the dam due to the scarcity of water alternatives.

A local resident, Ko Kyaw Lin Oo, said he feared that the use of waters from the Pyin Kauk Dam, described as foul-smelling, would cause diarrhea.

“If you use water recently, it smells very bad. If you do not use it for a day, the smell will be a little bit. I am worried that the water will be unclean and that I will get diarrhea,” he explained.

The Pyin Kauk dam was built by the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department at an estimated cost of K120 million. The dam measures 345 feet long, 40 feet high and 20 feet wide.

There are four other similar facilities elsewhere in Manaung Township.