Leaking roof, drainage problems put damper on commerce at Sittwe market

By DMG 02 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
2 May 2022, Sittwe 

Shopkeepers at the new market near BXT Port in the Arakan State capital Sittwe have called for repairs to be made to leaking roofs at the bazaar ahead of Myanmar’s monsoon season. 

A drainage pipe from the roof of the market is leaking, complain shopkeepers, some of whom have had their goods damaged by rainwater. 

“Even in the cold season, the roof leaks dew water,” said clothing shop owner Ma Nu Nu Hlaing. “This morning, the market was flooded after 10 minutes of rain and we could not sell. We won’t be able to do business in the rainy season. If it rains at night, I might lose all my merchandise.” 

Meanwhile, the market’s main drainage ditch is also reportedly blocked, and water is stagnating as a result. The ditch is linked to the market’s septic tank, and vendors and customers are finding themselves in a stinking market, said shopkeeper Ma Win Win. 

“Customers don’t want to buy if they have to wade through water. We want authorities to fix the drainage,” she told DMG. 

Shopkeepers have reported the problems to municipal authorities, who came and took photos of the leaking roof but did not say anything, according to market vendors. 

DMG was unable to reach a Sittwe municipal official responsible for markets.