Plan to supply water to Sittwe not delivering, residents say

By Admin 20 Apr 2023

DMG Newsroom
20 April 2023, Sittwe

The Arakan State military council has guaranteed that there won’t be water shortages in Sittwe, which faces water shortages annually during the hot season, but residents said they still have to buy water due to the inadequacy of the piped supply. 

Arakan State military spokesman U Hla Thein wrote on his Facebook that the council is making efforts to ensure Sittwe has access to sufficient water supply through May as the rainy season typically begins around June.

“More artesian wells are being dug, and they are producing water. The water is directly piped to Kandawgyi Lake. The water from Kandawgyi Lake and groundwater are supplied to Sittwe town. Though it can’t meet the daily demand of 1.9 million gallons, we are supplying around 1.3 million gallons per day,” he wrote.

DMG phone calls to U Hla Thein went unanswered.

The Arakan State military council has been trying to tap groundwater after junta chief Min Aung Hlaing called for an adequate water supply for Sittwe during his second trip to Arakan State this year.

Currently, some wards are supplied twice a week from Kandawgyi Lake, but it is impossible to pump water during power outages, said Daw Tin Htay from Maw Leik Ward.

“We heard Kandawgyi Lake is supplying. But we don’t use water from Kandawgyi Lake because we are at work during the daytime, and we can’t pump water. Even if water is supplied in the evening after we arrive back home, there is no electricity to pump water,” she said.

Though the Arakan State military council said it is supplying 1.3 million gallons of water daily in Sittwe, residents complain that they still face shortages.

“We have not been supplied from Kandawgyi for the past three months. We have to buy bottled water for drinking. We have to use artesian wells for cooking and washing, but then we can’t pump water when there is no electricity,” said Ko Saw Win from Myo Thugyi Ward in Sittwe.

Some wards have to buy water, and some have to rely on artesian wells, said a resident of Danyawaddy Ward.

“We were happy that authorities would supply us with groundwater. We hoped that there wouldn’t be a serious water shortage this year. But so far, we have not received any water, and we have to buy it on our own,” said the resident.

Sittwe residents are mainly supplied by Kandawgyi Lake and another lake in Byaing Phyu Village.