Flooding affects 15,000 people in 30 villages in Thaton Township

Flooding affects 15,000 people in 30 villages in Thaton Township
by -
Shwe Yoe
Houses have been submerged by the flooding (Photo – MNA)
Houses have been submerged by the flooding (Photo – MNA)

Although flooding has receded in Bilin Township, Mon State, over 15,000 people from around 30 villages in Thaton Township have been affected by flooding, according to Zay-ma-thwei (Upper) Village Flood Management Office.

“Among the flood victims, some of them only came out after the rescue workers arrived. The water level is around four feet in the village now. The villagers don’t know where to run. There are around 26 villages like this,” said Daw Khine Khine Lei, State Hluttaw MP from Thaton Constituency – 1.

The flood-hit villages can only be reached by water route and communication access has been cut off so attempts have been made to gather information and relief camps have not been opened yet, she continued.

“The villages have rice and cooking oil but the villagers cannot cook. They are surrounded by water. We have to send them meal packs every day. There aren’t enough meal packs. Also, there are drinking water issues. Now, we are sending the meal packs from this Upper Zay-ma-hwei Village by boat. We have to send drinking water along with the meal packs,” she continued.

An official from the Flood Management Office in Zay-ma-thwei (Upper) Village of Thaton Township said aids are being provided to Kyet-tu-yway-taung Village on the other side of Don-tha-mi Creek and Ngar-pyar-net and Htone-bo-kwei villages in the Karen (Kayin) State among the flood-hit villages as they are close to Thaton Township.

“Over 200 households have been submerged. The wells have been submerged so we are facing difficulties with the drinking water. Also, poor families are facing difficulties in cooking as the homes have been submerged. Even when the water subsides, they will still face difficulties in cooking as their homes have been submerged,” said U Ba Pu from Da-la-ban Village.

Drinking water and medicine are mostly needed at the moment and health organizations have been providing healthcare in these villages.

“The village has been submerged since before the full moon of the Second Waso. The water didn’t subside. It only keeps rising. Now, we are afraid of the potential rising of the Than-lwin (Salween) River. Our villages have to monitor the water level of the Than-lwin River. The flooding will subside [in our villages] if the water level decrease in the Than-lwin River. If it rises in the Than-lwin River, it will rise in our villages. Our villages plant paddies. Now all the paddy fields have been submerged. They have been submerged since before the full moon of the Second Waso,” U Ba Pu continued.

Flooding is likely to rise in some areas due to heavy rain in the Mon State and the Tanintharyi Region within recent days.

Although 65 flood relief camps have been closed in the flood-hit areas in the Bago Region, Tanintharyi Region, Karen State, and the Mon State, over 150,000 people are still affected by flooding, according to the Disaster Management Department.

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