Dam In Rakhine: Flood Prevention And Water Supply

To prevent floods during monsoon season and water scarcity in summer in Rakhine State, the State Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department built Yoe Ta Yoke dam near Yoe Ta Yoke village, Ponna Kyun Township of Rakhine State in 2018-2019 fiscal year.

Yoe Ta Yoke dam is located about 1.5-mile west of the village and it is an earthen type facility. The average volume of water inflow is 116 million gallons. It has a maximum water storage capacity of 69.10 million gallons and the minimum storage is 64.68 million gallons.

The dam can supply sufficiently drinking water to 5,878 people of 1,253 households and nearby villages. Although Rakhine State gets about 200 inches of rain annually, the summer heat dries up many streams, lakes and wells, especially in the rural areas.

So, it faces water shortage in many places during the summer. But in the rainy season, some places face floods. The Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department built 11 dams in 2018-2019 fiscal year for the agricultural development, availability of irrigation water, flood prevention and water supply in summer.