Heavy rain damages roads in Rakhine State
Sittwe - Heavy rain and flooding have damaged many roads in Ann, Rakhine State causing traffic snarl-up on Monday.
Temporary roads have been constructed to ease the traffic congestion.
“The traffic jam is now easing. The roads are under repairs now, and vehicles are using the temporary roads in the meantime,” said Thwe Thwe Soe, a local resident from Ann.
The regional government said they would finish the repair works in the first week of July.
“We started the repairs on Sunday. The traffic jams may hinder trade flow which will lead to the rise in commodity prices. Small cars can drive on temporary roads for the time being,” said Hla Thein, the chairperson of Information and Archiving Sub-committee of the Rakhine regional government.
MP Thein Swe from Ann constituency in Rakhine State on June 30 submitted an urgent motion calling for the union government to immediately repair damages caused by heavy flooding in the state.
Some areas in Rakhine, Bago and Kayin were inundated due to heavy rain in the last week of June and locals are suffering from the flooding, said the MP.
Although the authorities are conducting search and rescue operations for the flood victims and opening relief camps in the flood affected areas, the flood victims are in dire need of more support to repair the damages, he said.
According to the MP, outdated drainage system is the main cause for the heavy flooding. The government needs to upgrade the drainage system to prevent further flooding, said the MP.
The motion was supported by MP Kyi Thar from Gwa constituency and the parliament agreed to discuss it at the parliament session.
Bone Swe, deputy minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement and general secretary of National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee clarified the relief work undertaken by the government concerning the flooding.
