Widespread Water Shortage Problems in Lower Burma

Independent Mon News Agency

April 22, 2005

In every dry season in Burma, the people in the country usually face a bit water shortage problem, but this year, people in Mon State face a more serious water shortage problem the residents in Mon State said.

Director of Earth Rights International an environmental NGO based in Chiang Mai, Mr. Chana Maung said that water shortage is much relating to environmental impacts of enormous deforestation and massive mining.

“The people in Burma have more faced water shortage problems since 1990” concluded by Mr. Chana Maung.

In Thanbyuzayat Township of Mon State, the people remained less water in their wells and many of them have to buy water brought by traders. A town resident Mr. Nai Ong Chai said that only 20% of the Town residents bought water last year, but nearly 75% of the people this year have to rely on the water brought by traders.

He added, “In my city quarter, we have about 50 households and 38 of them have to buy water this year”.

Similarly to the civilians in Thanbyuzayat Town, more people in the border town of Three-Pagoda-Pass also have to buy water for their household use and drinking water. For those who have no money to buy water have to wake up in early morning about 4:00 a.m. and carry water from wells or streams nearby, said a local resident, Ms. Mi Aye Myint.

Since the beginning of April, the Town residents in Thanbyuzayat have to buy water from water carriers from nearby and they pay 4500 Kyat (~ 5 US Dollar) for one water truck, which carry four water tanks (~ 800 liters). About 25% of the poor families in the town also collected dirty water in drought streams and brooks nearby and used it, said Mr. Oung Chai.

For those who buy water could not use sufficient amount of water in their showering and washing their clothes, he added.

Not only the people in Thanbyuzayat and Three-Pagoda-Pass towns, but the villages in other townships in Mon State – Ye, Moulmein and Mudon, internally displaced persons and refugees along the Thailand-Burma border and other areas of Burma also face water shortage problems.

For further information, please contact to Independent Mon News Agency

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