Swa Chaung Dam: Water supply & environmental conservation underway

Swa Chaung Dam, located in Yedashe Township of Bago Region, is an earthen dam with a storage area of 403 square miles, providing water to more than 23,000 areas of farmland as well as for environmental conservation.  

The Swa Chaung Dam has an average rainfall of 83.75 inches, an average water inflow of more than 31,000 acre feet, more than 216,000 acre feet of total water storage level. According to an official, Swa Chaung dam is supplying water to the cultivated acres in Yedashe and Taungoo, and Yedashe is the area where water is supplied the most. Water supply is being made in a rotating system based on cultivating areas.

Staff Officer, Irrigation & Water Utilization Management Dept., Kyaw Aung Bo said "The water is stored during the rainy season. Although water supply started from December last year, we’d start to supply water in January this year. Plans are being drawn up for disasters prevention that may occur at Swa Chaung dam and also for the environmental conservation."

The emergency preparedness plan has been drawn up for the rainy season and a conservation plan for the dam to prevent the embankment from breaking.

Staff Officer, Irrigation & Water Utilization Management Dept., Kyaw Aung Bo said "The guidelines were given by the world bank for the dam conservation plan and according to the guidelines and environmental conservation reports, works have been underway."

Swa Creek is a tributary of the Sittaung river and the Swa Chaung Dam was constructed in 2001, aiming to control the water level as necessary, to prevent flooding of the Sittaung river basin and to supply water to farmlands in Yedashe and Taungoo townships as well as help to green environs.