Sixty acres of paddy fields have been damaged by the entry of seawater after an embankment broke in Taung Shay Village of Wah Taung Group in Kyaukpyu Township, Rakhine State, causing difficulties among the local farmers, farmers from Taung Shay Village said to Narinjara News.
“Flooding caused the breaching of the embankment in around six places on August 20. We submitted a letter to the district and township officials and the agriculture and irrigation departments after the breach. We reported it. We still haven’t received any response up to today. They didn’t come to look at it,” said U Shwe Maung, a local farmer.
The embankment is called Kyauk Taung – Buthi mawkaryi (farmer embankment) and the damaged paddy fields are owned by 16 farmers, according to him.
“We, the villagers, don’t have money and manpower so we can’t salvage it on our own. We have request assistance from various respective departments but no one has taken action,” he said.
All the paddies have turned yellow and become damaged after the embankment burst and sea water entered the paddy fields.
“Even if we salvage the embankment now, we won’t be able to plant again due to lack of time. Now, the farmers are in trouble. They may face livelihood difficulties due to the damaged farms. Also, they will face difficulties with the education of their children,” said U Shwe Maung.
U Shwe Maung has a son, who is attending distant education, a girl in the 7th grade, and a young child.
Narinjara News has been unable to contact Wah Taung Administrator U Than Shwe Oo to confirm the news on the damaged farms despite making several attempts.
