50,000 villages in Myanmar without electricity

Published on Monday, 26 November 2012 16:59

Nearly 50,000 small towns and villages in Myanmar are still without electricity, statistics from the Ministry of Electric Power show.

Shan and Kachin states have the largest number of villages without power supply as well as those in Bago, Sagaing and Magway regions.

Areas without electricity include three towns and 13,424 villages in Shan State; 8,602 villages and one town in Ayeyawady Region, 5,603 villages in Bago Region; 2,978 villages in Mandalay Region; 2,416 villages in Magway Region; 2,295 villages in Kachin State; and over 10000 villages and 10 towns in other regions and states.

The government plans to build power grids ranging from 66KV to 500KV and sub-power stations in those villages under the fiscal programmes for 2012-2013 and 2015-2016. Under the plan, 204 power grids and 34 sub-power plants will be built in Chin State, 569 grids and 690 sub-power plants in Rakhine State and 773 grids and 724 sub-power stations in Taninthayi region.

Myanmar is made up of 14 regions and states, five self-administered zones, one self-administered division and Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, the seat of government.