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Article

29 Jun 2019

Author:
Phyo Wai Kyaw, Myanmar Times

Myanmar: Wastewater from factories pollutes river, sickens residents

"Factory waste affects villagers along Dotehtawady: groups", 27 June 2019

Residents of Amarapura township, Mandalay Region, are suffering because factories dump wastewater in the Dotehtawady River, and the government needs to address the problem, said U Maung Maung Oo, leader of the Natural Green Alliance.

..."The wastewater problem has been occurring for a long time. We should ask who failed to carry out this work. We know that about 500,000 gallons of wastewater are discharged per day. When the weather is very hot, the wastewater produces foul odours, and we feel ill. We need a solution. I want to know how those responsible will solve it," U Maung Maung Oo told a meeting of residents and civil society groups.

...Daw Hla Kyin, 71, of Nyaung Ni Bin village, said, "I have to buy drinking water though I can't afford it. ...We can't grow beans. ...If it continues, I will probably get a disease and die."

"People who bathe in the river get rashes. If they swallow the water, they can get intestinal diseases. The river water can seep into the underground wells of local residents, causing harm. Children should not be allowed to bathe in the river, and the fish from the river shouldn't be eaten," U Wunna Aung said.