Flood prevention measures cause traffic back-ups

Flood prevention measures cause traffic back-ups

By Tin Yadanar Htun   |   Monday, 26 May 2014

A project to construct culverts, meant to help drain excess rain from roadways and sidewalks, is causing a traffic nightmare for residents in Dagon township who say the soil being excavated is blocking roads and causing flooding.

Over 2800 culverts are being built in North Dagon, South Dagon and East Dagon to prevent flooding during rainy season. But with rains starting earlier than anticipated residents are finding travelling the streets increasingly difficult

"Culverts being built in all the streets, so all the streets are blocked and we cannot drive. Even walking is not OK," said North Dagon resident Daw Khin Khin Lay.

"If box culvert construction is going on in the road, traffic is more. If box culverts are being built in the sidewalk, we cannot walk. All of the streets are very muddy and flooded. It is dangerous for the residents,"

Another resident, U Than Htun, said that the projects should have been finished before the start of rainy season. He said he feared for the safety of the elderly townspeople and pregnant women who had to walk through the dangerous conditions.

Yangon City Development Committee official U San Aung said that construction varied from site to site and that residents with issues should take them directly to the companies that are carrying out the work.

The project is being undertaken by the Flood Prevention Committee, which was formed by the President's Office in February.

It is comprised of members from five government organisations, Yangon City Development Committee, Irrigation Department, Water Resources and Rivers Development Department, Department of Human Settlement, and Housing Development and Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Association (MCEA).

Twenty companies from MCEA are in charge of construction. The project is set to run from February 1 to May 31.

"We manage and check in on the work process. We have discussed candidly with the companies about the work and finishing the building on time," said a Flood Prevention Committee official.

U Thar Aye, vice president of MCEA, said that he was confident that the project would be completed on time despite heavy rain.

An official from May Yu Land Construction company, responsible for construction of culverts in parts of East Dagon admitted that while rain had cause some delays and forced works to pump sites before working after heavy rainfall, that the culverts they were building were likely to be finished on time.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2014/05/27/flood-prevention-measures-cause-traffic-back-ups/