Oct 20, 2008 (DVB), Farmers in Kyauktaga township, Bago division, have complained that local authorities' plans to build an embankment across Ye Nwe creek could cause flooding on farmlands.

A local farmer said there were many villages, including Sesongon and Changyi, along the banks of the Ye Nwe creek that could be affected.

"Authorities are now drawing up plans to build an embankment on the creek and channel the flow of water to the east as they want to encourage the growing of summer paddy on farmlands which are closer to the road," the farmer explained.

"The length of the channel, which will be built across the existing farmlands, will be about seven miles when it is finished – so far they have done about three miles of it."

"If they stop the flow of Ye Nwe creek, it will cause flooding in the paddy farms located north of Changyi village and local farmers are worried that it will happen before they can harvest their crops."

Another farmer was also concerned by the potential for flooding.

"It’s going to do us more harm than good – it’s going to cause flooding on the local farms," he said.

An official at Kyauktaga Irrigation Department said the farmers did not need to be concerned.

"We have a few projects we are doing there but we don’t think those projects will harm the farmers’ livelihoods," he said.

Reporting by Maung Too