Due to the increased water level in the Indawgyi Lake in Mohnyin Township, Kachin State, hundreds of acres of farmlands around the were flooded and destroyed, local farmers said.

The farmlands around the Indawgyi Lake had bee in flood since early August.

“The farmers near the Indawgyi Lake suffered heavy losses. The water level in Indawgyi Lake rose to about 3 feet. So, the farmlands were flooded and submerged. Those farmlands are unable to cultivate again. Farmers were incapable of planting crops again. There are many faremrs who lost more than ten acres of farmland,” said farmer Chit Ko from Manaykhaw village near the Indawgyi Lake.

“The increased water level was the worst after 2015. The water level reached the second terrace of the pagoda . Moreover, it was the heavy rain. The reason was the Indawgyi Lake had silted up,” said Thaung Nyunt, one of the members of Shwe Myitzu Pagoda Board of Trustee.    

An unidentified official who participated in the environmental conservation tasks around the Indawgyi Lake said that the mountains may collapse.  Waste dumps from gold mining all ended in the Indawgyi Lake. Due to the increased volume of the floor of the Indawgyi Lake, water level might have increased. Currently, there has been gold mining around the Indawgyi Lake. This year mountain torrents caused landslides. It all settled into the lake. So, the lake is now drying up and the earth amount of one acre emerged in the lake. As the lake is drying up, the water face is wide.

On the morning of July 28, mountain torrents from Nantmon, Hepu, Nant Maw Kan, Maingnaung, and Khaungtone areas caused floods in Mamong Kaing , Maingnaung , Sanwin Kone, Inthar, Hepu and Lonesant  villages covered with mud, sand, pebbles and branches. Hopin area was flooded with torrents and Hopin-Indawgyi road was also flooded.