August 4, 2023
According to residents, floods occur in some areas of Karen State due to enduring rainfall and increasing river levels.
Starting from the last week of July, residents said that owing to the continuous torrential rain and the rising river water in Hpa-An Town, Myawaddy Town, Kyar Inn Seik Gyi Town, Hlaingbwe Town, Kawkareik, and Kyondoe Town, some quarters are flooding in the Karen State.
A resident said that because of the constant rain and rising river water around Hpa-An Riverside, Hpa-An Viewpoint, and No. 2 Quarter, in the vicinity of ten houses in Ward, some parts of the area are flooded.
“The water is rising but not too much yet, and then people on the lower side are looking at the situation.” Right now, in the ten houses and the cultivated land, overall, No. 2 Ward “At the moment, I think it’s only around here,” he said.
A resident of Myawaddy said that since the morning of August 3rd, near the Myaynigone, the water has been overflowing up to Asia Road due to the endless heavy rain in Myawaddy Town and the increase in the water level of the Thaunggin River. Moreover, low-lying quarters in Myawaddy Town, such as Ward No. 1, Ward No. 2, Wards No. 4, and No. 5, continue to rise water until August 4. Although no residents have moved in yet, they are continuing to monitor the situation.
In addition, due to continuous rains in Kawkareik Town, some areas are flooded, and Kyondoe Town is also experiencing rising water. Owing to the rising water, around 300 people from the low-lying sides of the Kyondoe have been living in the Basic Education High School (Kyondoe). The neighborhood villages such as Nyaung Yeik Thar, Thayet Taw, and Kanni are also flooded, as reported by a local.
“There was a lot of water, and I heard that some people whose houses were submerged in the low-lying areas on the Kyonedie side were allowed to stay at the Basic Education High School (Kyondoe), and the population may be around 300.” The flood is in the villages of Thain Kone, Riverside, South Karen Su, North Karen Su, and Set Paing, and on the shore in front of the Aye Pagoda. In the surrounding villages such as Nyaung Yeik Thar, Thayet Taw, and Kanni, except for Asia Road, all the rest of the village connecting roads are flooded. “Even though many houses were flooded, some people stay at home if the house is not flooded, and they flee when they cannot stay at home entirely,” he said.
According to a local woman, about 82 houses were submerged due to the flood in Ward 6 of Kyar Inn Seik Gyi Township, and the residents in the ward also moved to the west of Kyar Inn Seik Gyi Township Preschool.
Even though the water level continues to rise until August 4th in Hlaingbwe Township, residents say that about three families in Ward (b) are fleeing to the pre-primary school.
Last year, in 2019, villages in and around Hpa-An Town were flooded for almost 2 months, and most of the townships in Karen State also faced difficulties in transportation due to the flooding.
According to residents, the Dawna mountain waterfall in Karen State is draining into the Haungthayaw River, Gyaing River, and Hlaing Bwe Creek, which is why some townships in Karen State experience floods every year.
News: Naw Phu Phu
Photo-Cj
Phar Si Than (People’s Radio Myanmar)