The water level in the beautiful Innlay Lake, in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, which attracts tourists, has fallen.

The water level of the Innlay has been decreasing since last year. This year, ferryboats are finding it difficult to ply as the water level has gone down significantly, said local sources in Innlay.

Its tributaries are also very low, and in some places there are sand banks, forcing travelers to walk a long distance to the ferryboats.

The travel path to a well known Buddha image, Phawng Taw Oo, is also dried up, said a ferryboat owner.

“Visitors have to walk for about 10 yards to get there now. Before we could send them directly,” he said.

Meanwhile, other parts of southern Shan State are also facing the same problem as Innlay Lake.

Lakes, rivers and wells in villages and towns in southern Shan State have dried, resulting in people facing water shortage.  

A resident in Taunggyi said price of water in the town has shot up dramatically since the water crisis began last year and now water prices are spiraling.

In some places, there was no rain even though it was during the rainy reason, said a villager in Loilem.

“Not only water in the wells is dry but also water in the rivers”, he said.

Almost all villages in Southern Shan State were unable to grow crops and paddy because there was not enough water. This situation has been getting worse in the past year. People are mainly relying on agriculture and farms, growing groundnut, soya beans, onion and garlic, he said.  

A similar situation has occurred in Rangoon even though it is a different problem. “Due to electricity supplies being fickle; people are unable to get water”, a local source in Rangoon said.

A Shan environmentalist blamed the military junta for neglecting the environment and exploiting the natural resources in Shan State.

The problem today in southern Shan State is caused by industries such as hydropower projects and timber traders. Almost all trees in Shan State are depleted, said Sai Khurh Hseng, a Shan environmentalist based in Chiangmai, Thailand.

Water Level in Inlay lake (before). Photo: Taunggyi Family

Compared to neighbouring countries, Burma has few industries. But the main cause in Burma is that the junta has used trees for its own profit. It has cut them down and sold them to China and Thailand, he said.

“Trees have been cut down not just for two or three years, it has been on for more than decades,” he said. “If the junta continues to do this, the whole of Burma will face climate changes; there will be no water and no rain.”

Water Level in Inlay lake (Now). Photo: Taunggyi Family

Big trees in Loilem are being felled every day by timber traders. They are, the ones, who have received a teak permit from the junta authorities, a local source in Loilem said.

Trees in Shan State are cut not only for selling but also for poppy cultivation and the poppy cultivation is shifting to new places every year, he said.