Due to heavy rains on 7 October, the main canal of Kalihtaw Dam in Hlegu Township suffered a breach, and about 40 acres of agricultural land and homes from nearby villages, including the Kyarinn (East) Village, were flooded.
At around 3 am that day, 3.39 inches of rain fell, and the overflow from the spillway of the Kalihtaw Dam, as well as the water released from the dam’s drain pipe and the water flowing in from the surrounding area, exceeded the design flow rate of the main canal and caused the canal to break. The breach was about 35 feet in length and 10 feet in depth, from water-level indicator 16+500 feet to 16+535 feet of the Kalihtaw main canal.
The Yangon Region chief minister inspected the repair work of the breached area with 3 backhoes and 3 dumpers on the afternoon of 8 October.
In addition, the chief minister also instructed responsible persons to check whether the spillways and embankments in the Ngamoeyeik Dam are strong or not, inspect whether the water has reached the high-water mark and is overflowing, and check the water control towers. If the water rises due to continuous rain, the officials must take action to relocate the homes that may be in danger and also to install water barriers to report the rise and fall of the water in a timely manner. — TWA/CT
