New Delhi (Mizzima) – Lotus Foundation started collecting funds today from local and foreign Burmese to supply water to areas within Burma whose residents have been suffering for weeks under severe water shortages, a fund-raiser said.

More than 60 villages in Pegu Division are facing severe water shortages after record high temperatures across Burma have accelerated evaporation of ponds and reservoirs, according to earlier reports. Among other badly hit areas, villagers in the townships of Pegu, Waw, Thanatpin, Kawa and Daik Oo, all in Pegu Division, are lacking drinking water and water for hygiene needs as small dams there have lain dry since April.   

The charity decided to act after hearing of the crisis through news outlets and from forwarded e-mails, Lotus Foundation fund-raiser Win Tun Sint said.

“Currently, we are in foreign countries so we can’t help them [drought-hit villagers] using manpower, so we arranged to collect money to donate”, Win Tun Sint, who lives in Singapore, told Mizzima.

The collected money will be given to Sayadaw U Oakgapannita, chief monk of Dhammayakkhita Monastery (West Bangla Monastery), who will co-ordinate water purchases and distribution to the victims.

The Lotus Foundation brought Burmese people together at Shwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon in May last year with the goal of benefiting Buddhism and the people. Later, Burmese from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain, the United States and other countries joined in their charity work, the foundation said. The organisation has 300 members.

Sever water shortages also persist in Dala Township, Rangoon Division, Magway and Sagaing divisions, and in Arakan (Rakhine) State.