The government will spend 12 billion Kyats (12.5 million US dollars) on removing sandbank and maintenance of riverbeds and waterways of the two rivers with preventive measures against erosion of the rivers, the Ministry of Transport was quoted by the New Light of Myanmar as saying.
Of the 12 billion Kyats' budget, 127 million Kyats will be allocated to the maintenance of Twantay Canal, which is vital for transportation by waterways to and from Yangon and the Ayeyawaddy delta region in the southwest.
According to the ministry's Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River System, the Ayeyawaddy River is eroding at many places along the river and the directorate is currently repairing places where erosion is most serious.
The directorate disclosed that it has completed the assessment on the possibility for building four low-head dams on the Ayeyawaddy River in central Myanmar recently.
The water level of the Ayeyawaddy River reached above its danger level of 1,260 cm in the rainy season but falls to 720 cm in summer in Mandalay.
Flowing from north to south, the Ayeyawaddy River has been the key water transport route of Myanmar since ancient times. It poses a great barrier to the social and economic relations between the eastern and western parts of the country.
According to official statistics, a total of 11 Ayeyawaddy river-crossing bridges had been constructed over the past two decades as milestones of the country and three more such bridges are under construction.
There are also bridges across Chindwin, Thanlwin and Sittoung rivers.
source: Global Times
No comments:
Post a Comment