By Kantarawaddy Times
Following the breach of the Moebya dam on July 25, thousands of acres of rice paddies in the Shan-Karenni border region have been submerged. Residents report that farmers are now harvesting unripe rice underwater as the water level continues to rise.
“Most of the submerged fields are still young rice plants that haven’t matured yet. Some fields are ripe, but many are not fully ready for harvest. Since the water level is rising by two to three feet daily, some fields are being harvested prematurely. If we don’t harvest now, everything will be submerged, and we won’t get anything. The rice isn’t ripe yet, but we harvested it anyway and plan to re-dry it later. We are harvesting in the water, even though the rice is still green,” said a local from Dee Maw Hso Township.
The areas around Moebye Lake, Phar Laing Lake, Payar Ni village, Paung Taw village, and Paya Phyu village are experiencing severe flooding, submerging rice fields along the Balu Chaung Creek. This has caused significant losses for farmers who rely mainly on agriculture for their livelihoods, leading to concerns about their food security.
Currently, the water level is still rising, and both locals and IDPs are being forced to relocate.
“The water level is rising by about a foot or two each day. We’ve also heard reports that the dam is still being breached, but we don’t have concrete information,” the local resident added.
In October 2023, continuous rainfall and breaches from the Moebye Dam caused flooding in Dee Maw Hso Township’s Payar Phyu village, Paung Taw village, and surrounding areas, destroying thousands of acres of rice paddies, as well as poultry and fish farms.
