PAKOKKU- As village lakes have dried up in Myaing Township, Pakokku District, Magway Region, villagers are facing water shortages, according to the locals.

“We didn’t drive water pump of artesian well because we used the water from the lake for bathing. We have to use the water from artesian well for cooking. Now, there is no water from the lake, we depend on the artesian well. We daily use five-gallon of diesel for driving the water pump. There will be scarcity of water before raining. The lake will be filling up with water after raining. If water pump will be driven as a long time, the well may be destroyed,” said a villager from Chaung U To village in Myaing Township.

The authorities are now compiling the list of villages in Myaing Township which can face water shortage problem in summer and they are trying to dig the wells at about 10 villages, according to the MPs.

Eleven Media Group started water donation program since the beginning of 2016 by using the bowsers being provided by the Brighter Future Myanmar Foundation. The EMG yearly donates over 100,000 gallons of water to the Pakokku, Nyaung-U, Pauk and Myaing Townships in central Myanmar. Moreover, EMG dug over 20 artesian wells in Magway Township in 2016 and 2017.