Rural Development: 10,000-Gallon Water Storage Tank For Summer

Nyaung Chaung Lay Village has got a 10,000-gallon rainwater harvesting and storage tank for the summer season following their participation in the Lien AID Community Water Management program.

Lien AID Community Water Management program is a 4-year program and implemented with the Department of Rural Development under the agreement of using 600,000 USD. The program has been implemented in 35 villages of Bogale, Dedaye, Labutta, Myaungmya, and Pyapon townships in Ayeyawady Region. Nyaung Chaung Lay village is part of Poe Laung Village-Tract and the population is about 1,500 in over 370 households. The village used to suffer the shortage of drinking water supply from the second week of March to April.

Administrator, Poe Laung Village-Tract, Than Tun said “Nyaung Chaung Lay village has three wells that can provide suitable water for drinking however the amount is insufficient during summer - so we used to suffer shortage of drinking water supply. We sought help from concerned departments and some donors also come here. Now we have got a 10,000-gallon rainwater harvesting and storage tank with the support of Lien AID. I think it will cover up over 1 month for the whole village. If we get another tank, there’ll be no worry about drinking water.”

Tint Swe is a member of Water Management Committee of Poe Laung Village-Tract and also a WASH Hero who has been putting efforts to access drinking water nearby villages during summer season and promoting safe hygiene behavior in the villages. 

Doh Yay Hero, Tint Swe said “There is a place where we can get drinking water – it’s over 1 mile far from here. When the villages suffer shortage of the drinking water, we used to distribute drinking water to the nearby villages by collecting water from there. Chairman of our water management committee has drawn plans to use drinking water from this 10,000-gallon rainwater harvesting and storage tank in the summer.”

Lien AID has also supported Nyaung Chaung Lay village’s school with improved latrines, hand washing facilities and water supply, benefiting over 350 children.

Headmistress, Sub-Basic Education Middle School (Nyaung Chaung Lay Village), Nant Win Maw said “There weren’t enough latrines for all students at our school. So boys had to go latrines in the jungle. Now there are latrines for boys and girls at our school. We don’t need to worry about our health since we have got the improved latrines, hand washing facilities and water supply.”

Upon completion of the program in early 2020, it is expected that the Community Water Management programme will reach to more than 25,000 people across 35 villages with improved supplies of clean water. Moreover, over 2,000 students from 20 village schools will have access with improved latrines, handwashing facilities, and water supply within their schools.