According to Rangoon residents, they have to buy one litre of purified water for about 400 Kyat and the common water is about 500 Kyat for a tub. Residents who can't buy are digging wells around their township. Some township authorities tried to distribute water but it was not enough.
"Some private well owners have been selling water by putting it in containers of 20 litres around the township," said South Okklalapa township residents. But most people can't buy given the prohibitive cost and they use water from wells to the extent it is available.
However some quarters collected money to take out water from the well by hiring pumps. Though they got the water but it has been emitting a foul smell and is polluted, so they can't use it.
Due the polluted water people in some quarters were afflicted with cholera, said residents in Insein Township. "About eight people out of ten were affected by cholera. They could not go to the clinic and drink mineral salt with the unclean water," they added.
According to residents and a doctor in Insein Township, Hlaing Thayar and Insein Township have been affected by cholera and other township could also fall prey.
After cyclone Nargis lashed Rangoon and Irrawaddy Division, residents including those staying in apartments are facing shortage of water for drinking and in the kitchen and for bathing. So they collected money to buy generators for electricity to run pumps and get water.
According to a North Dagon resident, zinc roofs were blown off in the storm. They cannot buy it because of prohibitive costs of zinc roofs. The cost of construction equipment has risen excessively. Nails cost over 40,000 Kyat per viss.
"We have to stay in this situation now. One pack of candles was about 400 Kyat before, but it is now 1,500 Kyat. That's why most households can't use lights and most housewives are depressed because of the cost of increasing essential commodity prices," a resident said.
