A high alert has been sounded today by the Burmese military junta authorities warning people  that floods in the Irrawaddy River may hit Kachin State’s capital Myitkyina, northern Burma anytime within the next 24 hours, said residents.

City regime officials in motorcycle rickshaws fitted with loudspeakers made announcements, warning the people of the impending floods in all parts of Myitkyina, since 11 p.m. local time, said a resident.

Myitkyina residents said the authorities warned them of the floods from nearby Irrawaddy River or Mali Hka in Kachin. They were told to arrange for boats and large plastic containers for evacuation if necessary.

In terms of flood warning the officials accorded priority to Shatapru quarter on the Irrawaddy riverbank, added residents.

With the onset of the monsoon in June, residents of Shatapru have readied emergency life-saving containers like plastic fuel containers and plastic bags in their homes in the event of floods, said residents.

The water level of the Irrawaddy River has been rising steadily because of incessant rain in Kachin State since early June, when the Burma’s rainy season starts.

In 2004, nearly half of Myitkyina city was flooded by the Irrawaddy River killing dozens of people and thousands were rendered homeless.

Local environmentalists condemn Burma’s ruling junta and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) for being involved in rampant deforestation near Irrawaddy River and around Kachin State and not doing anything to stop it.

Since 2006, the junta-backed Asia World Company and China’s state-owned China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) have been implementing seven dam projects in Mali Hka River and N’Mai Hka River.