YANGON: Flooding destroyed 20,000 crops and forced schools to close in 30 villages across central Myanmar on Wednesday.
According to local media reports the Ayeyarwady River swelled because of the heavy rain in the Magway region and devastated 20,000 acres of peanuts, green beans, and sesame in the key agricultural region.
A resident said the flooding this year is very bad. The person declined to be identified for fear of reprisals because of the military regime’s crackdown against independent media. “Most of the bean fields are flooded and that’s the primary crop in this area,” he added.
About 20 schools have been shut down, he said, stating that five more townships in Magway are also experiencing flooding.
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Since the start of July, flooding has displaced tens of thousands of people in the region, washed away houses and killed several people, residents and relief workers said.
The rainy season is expected to continue until late October but for now, the worst may be over.
The junta’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology on Wednesday reported that the water level is below the dangerous level in Mandalay’s Nyaung-U township, to the north of Magway, and in areas to the south.
