The military council is unable to start repairing the damaged Strand road in Chaungwa ward in Rathedaung Township of Arakan State, citing a shortage of budget.
A local said: “Officials of the Arakan State Administration Council who inspected the road said the bank slide on Strand Road will be repaired at a cost of MMK-700 million in 2021. The road repairing cannot start till now due to a shortage of budget.”
“In early 2021, a big crack occurred in the middle of Strand Road. The road is gradually eroding. Nearby houses are in danger of collapse. It doesn’t meet the characteristics of a town. Officials frequently report it to the department. But it has not materialized till date. In the tenure of the military council, the urban and rural development tasks face more hindrances,” he adds.
The Strand road is 2,000 feet in length and 18 feet in width. It was upgraded into a concrete road at a cost of MMK-200 million in the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year. Currently, a 200-ft-long road collapsed into the creek.
“As far as I know, the Rivers and Creeks Conservation Department submitted the design to the headquarters in Nay Pyi Taw in June. If it gets the nod from the headquarters, a tender will be invited, and the road will be repaired in October at the earliest this year. The headquarters has yet to give the green-light. I don’t know exactly whether it has not got the nod due to the political instability. The department is unable to repair the damaged road till December, a local from Chaungwa ward in Rathedaung Township says.
“Vehicles cannot drive on the road. The people are still using this road. However, the people have to walk on the road by holding the fence of nearby houses. In June, relevant officials conducted the measurement of the damaged road. There were frequent measurements of the road. I don’t know when the road will be repaired,”
Ward administrators frequently warn passersby and the people from nearby houses to be cautious about it as the danger may occur at any time.
Sent by Khaing Lu Hla (Yomamyay)
