Sittwe residents complain of potholed streets

By DMG 11 Jun 2022

DMG Newsroom
11 June 2022, Sittwe

Local residents in Sittwe have complained about the condition of thoroughfares and other heavily trafficked streets in the Arakan State capital that are riddled with large, deep potholes now filled with water since the onset of the monsoon season.

Those badly damaged roads can cause traffic accidents, and basic education students are particularly at risk, Sittwe resident Ko Kyaw Naing Htay told DMG.

“The Kone Tan-Narrzi road is really bad. And Min Bar Gyi Street is also riddled with potholes. Many students go to school by motorbike, and it is quite dangerous for them to ride on damaged roads in the rainy season. Those roads must be repaired,” said Ko Kyaw Naing Htay.

Residents are also frustrated that Merchant Street is damaged after it was upgraded to a concrete facility just over two years ago.

Kyaung Gyi Street, which was built as an asphalt road some 20 years ago, is prone to potholes and has to be fixed every two or three years, according to residents.

Some streets in Mingan ward are easily flooded when it rains, forcing residents to wade through water to reach their schools and places of work, said ward resident Ko Paing Soe.

“The streets are bad in Mingan. Some streets are submerged under knee-deep water when it rains. So, it is not convenient for commuters and students,” he said.

Sittwe official U Kyaw Moe said the municipality had short- and longer-term remedies in the works. 

“We will fix the potholes for now, and we plan to carry out major repairs next year,” said U Kyaw Moe.

Residents of the Arakan State capital also say some roads have become higher than the adjacent houses in Sittwe as new layers are added to old road surfaces in repair work and as a result, the homes have become prone to flooding during the rainy season. Residents have therefore called on authorities to improve the city’s drainage system as well.