Dam in Tonzang Township overflows forcing evacuation

Dam in Tonzang Township overflows forcing evacuation
by -
Mizzima
Problems with overflow at the dam. Photo: Ko B. Soe
Problems with overflow at the dam. Photo: Ko B. Soe

The dam that is being built in Tonzang Township, Chin State overflowed on the weekend, so people in some villages nearby were evacuated on Sunday morning, residents say.

Kyaw Thet Win, a resident in Kalay, told Mizzima: “People from about 10 villages were evacuated.”

The dam in Tonzang Township overflowed and the water flowed down into the Yazagyo dam, so in order to prevent the Yazagyo dam from breaching, water from the Yazagyo dam has been released via a gate, Thike Soe, an assistant engineer at Yazagyo Dam, told Mizzima.

“If the water level reaches over 640 feet, we release the water through the gate. This morning, the water level reached 650 feet. Now the water level has subsided,” he said.

The dam in Tonzang was not breached, it just overflowed, he added.

About 80 percent of the construction of the dam in Tonzang has been completed.

At about 6 p.m. on July 3, the water level of Yazagyo Dam was 645 feet, which is not considered a dangerous level.

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