Residents evacuated amid river bank erosion

Published on Thursday, 29 November 2012 22:32

More than 60 homes in Kyaikhto Township, Mon State, were evacuated amid the erosion of the Sittaung River bank during November 17-26, a local resident said.
No casualty was reported since it occurred slowly and people noticed it well in advance.
Victims are now staying in the makeshift tents in compounds and nearby land.
The erosion caused damages to the east bank of Sittaung River, 2,400 feet in length and 35 feet toward the land in Seikkanthar Ward.
“The bank eroded slowly, and when the crack on earth was nearly 10 feet toward our house, we moved to the safe area knowing it would be pulled down by the coming tide,” said Ohn Tin, a local fishery worker.
Currently, 61 homes have been evacuated and 40 temporary shelters have been arranged, said Ba Min, head of Thein Zayat Village.
He said that the temporary dwellings, situated in Ywama Ward, were allotted to 40 affected families on November 27.
The victims have not yet received other assistance and construction materials from social associations, he added.
There are still 49 homes located near the river bank and residents are worried about further erosion. Authorities are monitoring the cracks especially during the time of high tides.
A total of 4,300 homes, one paper mill and one bridge are in Thein Zayat Village, which covers a land area of 3,509 acres.
During the last year erosion, 30 homes were evacuated.