Gas pipeline construction affects Myanmar farmers

Photo: @Myanmar Times

Gas pipeline construction in Kyaukpyu township Rakhine State, had affected farmers as they are complaining about the construction of a natural gas pipeline by China in their fields where they used to grow crops. The Chinese company in charge of the project site said that the farmers were paid on the land that was openly affected by the pipeline development.

However, farmers claimed that they were not paid for other lands used by the company. The project is being established by South East Asia Gas Pipeline Co, a joint project of Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise and China National Petroleum Corporation, Myanmar Times report said.

Most of the farmers from Si Maw village said that they were greatly affected by this construction making it difficult for them to grow paddy in their fields. During rainy days the soil which has been used as backfill in areas around Si Maw goes down in low lying fields.

They had requested also the firm to help them in removing the soil but help was never extended to them. With the continuous outpour of heavy rains, they fear that their heavy equipment would not be able to move out the soil deposits in the area, news report from Myanmar Times said.

More soil is still piled up in the field. They are most concerned about the crops being planted and this will be totally destroyed once the loose soil will flow down from the field.

The fertile topsoil measures 6 inches. Once it is combined with the earth that was dug up in the construction, the essential property of the fertile soil will be reduced. The cow would be hard up to pass in that soil and it would be tough again for them to adjust the level of water.

All the complaints were noted and investigations are being done, according to the spokesman for the Friendship Association for the Myanmar-China Pipeline Project, a group established by the companies building the natural gas pipeline and an associated oil pipeline to talk with the media.

They are also working on further actions to deal and manage the circumstances. Moreover, officials working behind the project said that they have already accomplished the backfill in the identified areas. As part of the management of the earth and water process, the company designated people to undertake supervision on the pipeline route to easily identify the existing problems in the area.