By Kantarawaddy Times
In recent days, the military battalion (LIB 422) based in Moe Bye, near the Shan-Karenni border, has released water from the Moe Bye dam, leading to further flooding of farmlands, according to local residents.
U Banya, Deputy Secretary of the Interim Executive Council (IEC) of Karenni State, reported to Kantarawaddy Times that this was the second time the dam gates had been opened, following the initial release at the end of July. The first release had already caused significant damage, submerging large areas of farmland. Farmers were in the process of preparing their fields for replanting summer paddy when the second release occurred, leading to additional submersion.
” The fields haven’t faced any new damage. It’s just the ones that were already damaged. The release of the wategate this time has simply caused more flooding. We had hoped that if the water receded quickly, we could replant the summer paddy. However, with this new release from the watergate, more fields have been submerged again. But no new fields have been affected beyond those already damaged,” said U Banya.
In the town of Moe Bye, homes in certain neighborhoods have also been flooded due to the release, according to a representative from the Moe Bye IDP Committee.
“They (the military) released the water gate again, which has caused flooding in two neighborhoods in the town. The release has also submerged some of the farmlands that were recently planted with paddy,” the committee representative said.
The first release on July 25 flooded approximately 1,000 acres of paddy fields, according to estimates from the IEC. The latest release is expected to further increase the number of submerged acres, as stated by a local activist involved in assisting displaced people.
As a consequence of the dam release, not only have the paddy fields in Moe Bye town and nearby villages, such as Wari Su Plai, Pikhin Kaw Ku, Paya Phyu, and Paya Ni been submerged, but displaced civilians are also facing ongoing challenges in securing adequate shelter and food due to the flooding.
