Kyaukphyu Twsp villagers denied water from reservoir in their village-tract

18 Jan 2023

DMG Newsroom
18 January 2023, Kyaukphyu

Five years after a reservoir was established in Thaing Kyaung Village-tract in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, locals are still unable to get water from the reservoir despite annual water shortages.

There are seven villages in Thaing Kyaung Village-tract, but only Thaing Kyaung and Pyar Juein villages are supplied from the reservoir, according to local residents.

Residents of the five other villages have submitted a request to the rural development department, asking it to supply water from the reservoir. But there has thus far been no response, said former village-tract administrator U Maung Khin Tun.

“Other villages also want to use water from the dam. And we have also made a request. However, there is still no response,” he said.

In cooperation with UNICEF, the rural development department piped water to Thaing Kyaung and Pyar Juein last year, and each household had to pay K50,000 for the installation of pipes.

When asked by DMG, staff officer U Kyaw Win Naing of the Kyaukphyu Township rural development department said: “Firstly, villagers must be able to provide land so that we can dig a lake. And we have to make surveys to check if it is possible to run pipes and if water can be pumped to the destinations. If they want to get water, they can officially submit a request through their administrators.”

Residents of the other villages said they can’t afford to pay the costs for installation of pipes, and also can’t supply land in their villages to make way for lakes. They want the authorities to arrange these things for them.

Thaing Kyaung village-tract has a population of around 4,000 people who live off some 2,000 acres of land. 

Ma Shwe Win Khin from Zaing Chaung Village said if they get water from the reservoir, they will be able to grow crops during the cold season, which will contribute to the socio-economic standards of residents.

“We have electricity now. If we can get water all year round, we will be able to grow crops. We don’t usually get enough water in the dry season. So, it is not OK to grow crops. Our village will develop further if we can get water from the reservoir,” she said.

The reservoir was built in 2014 to supply the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone. Construction completed in 2017.