Seven village-tracts including Lone Kan Village in Sankar area in the west of Inle Lake and south of Nyaung Shwe Township, Taunggyi District in the southern Shan State still have not received electricity despite making demands to successive governments to provide electricity, road and communications.
“This area has been forgotten by the governments in succession to provide electricity. The governments in succession have failed to meet their obligation because the lifestyles and environment of this area have been completely destroyed. I want the civilian government to fulfil their obligation,” said U Aung Zay from Justice Drum group.
The seven villages lost farmlands and homes during the construction of Mobye Dam in the Balu Chaung in 1970 to provide electricity on nationwide scale, but the area still has not received electricity even after over forty years.
“There won’t be deforestation if we have electricity. The cutting of firewood will be reduced. As we have to use this firewood for our daily lives, many trees have been cut. There is lesser rainfall and an increase in evaporation due to deforestation. Everything will turn alright if we can get electricity,” said U Soe Lel, a local resident of Lone Kan.
Lone Kan Village Administrator U Sein Aung said the area has lost the rights to education and health due to lack of electricity and bad road conditions while electricity has been demanded by the village chairmen in successive eras.
“The education has fallen behind. It’s only on a self-help system. When they (the NLD) came to campaign for the election, they promised to give electricity immediately, but no field inspections or visits have been made as yet and none of the demands have been fulfilled,” he said.
Pyithu Hluttaw MP U Nay Myo from Nyaung Shwe Township told the Shan Herald that the issue of providing electricity to Sankar area was submitted to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in 2016, but it was not included in the budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year.
According to local residents, patients have often lost their lives on the way to the hospital due to bad road conditions and vehicles cannot reach the villages during the rainy season.
“The local residents grow maize here. If the road condition improves, the farmers can get better prices. Road is very important for this area,” said U Aung Zay.
Sankar area's Lone Kan Village-tract is located 50 miles south of Nyaung Shwe. A total number of 3,054 people from 608 households and 633 families live in the village group.
Although the Shan State produces the largest amount of electricity in Myanmar, thousands of villages are still left without electricity thus far.
