Scores of drinking water lakes flooded in Minbya and Kyauktaw

By Admin 09 Aug 2023

DMG Newsroom
9 August 2023, Minbya

Nearly 100 lakes used to store drinking water for more than 40 villages in Arakan State’s Minbya and Kyauktaw townships were flooded by heavy rain and swollen creeks and rivers, according to locals.

Drinking water lakes in over 20 villages along Panmyaunggyi Creek, and over 10 villages along Phonethar Creek in Minbya Township were flooded, prompting residents to fetch water from other sources.

“All four drinking water lakes in our village were flooded. So, we have to fetch water from the mountain with our boat. We will pump water out from the flooded lakes after the flood water subsides,” said U Maung Shwe from Myintinma Village.

Around 40 drinking water lakes were flooded in more than 20 villages along Panmyaunggyi Creek, and around 30 drinking water lakes were flooded in more than 10 villages along Phonethar Creek, according to locals.

“We have seven lakes in our village, and three of them were flooded. The floodwaters have started to subside, but we still have to travel by boat,” said U Maung Pu from Minpuu Village.

Over 20 drinking water lakes were flooded in some 10 villages in Kyauktaw Township, according to local residents and charities.

Floodwaters reached up to nine feet above groundlevel in Saparseik Village, but have subsided and are now only three feet high above the ground, said villager Ko Aung Chanthar.

“We have four lakes, and one of them was inundated. But it is the main lake supplying villagers, and we may more or less run short of drinking water,” he said.

Chairman Ko Nyi Pu of the Phyu Sin Metta charity in Kyauktaw said: “Floodwater is receding in Kyauktaw, but we have a lot to do, such as dredging lakes and cleaning up houses.”

Some 7,000 people have had to evacuate their homes in Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships due to floods.

According to a weather report from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology at noon on Wednesday, the water level in the Kaladan River had fallen to about 41 cm below its danger level. The water level in the Lemyo River is still about 59 cm above the danger level, but the department predicts that the water level may fall below its danger level in the next two days.