Chin Faces Water Shortage After Soldiers Use Up

19 May 2010: People in Mindat Town of Southern Chin State are left in desperate need of water after Burma’s soldiers have reportedly used up for looking after a huge garden by their military camps, sources disclosed.

There is no enough water left for the people after water stored for the town has been lavishly used first by Burma’s army Light Infantry Battalion 274 stationed in Mindat Town and then by government-sponsored Buddhist temple, according to a local theological student.

“The soldiers and the SPDC-run monastery use water extravagantly just for gardening while the people do not have enough drinking water since the start of summer. The condition is getting worse,” continued the local student, whose name is not revealed.

Water from community-shared supply is made available to the people only twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday. “We just have to survive with whatever amount we have got for the week. As the weather is getting really hot, we want to take a shower every day but even once a week seems almost impossible since there is no enough water,” said one local.

Seated on 4860 feet (1480 m) above sea level, Mindat town has got about 4,000 households with more than 15,000 people. Mindat is one of the four towns of Mindat District, which consists of a total of 4 towns and 840 villages in Mindat, Matupi, Kanpetlet, and Paletwa Townships of Burma’s Chin State.

Van Biak Thang
[email protected]
Chinland Guardian