Central Myanmar faces water crisis this summer

Some townships and villages in central Myanmar has begun to face water shortage in this scorching summer due to low rainfall last monsoon, official media reported Tuesday.

The majority of townships and villages in Magway, Mandalay and Sagaing regions in arid zone are situated far from water sources and have to rely on lakes, either man-made or natural, for drinking water, said the Myawady Daily.

Some villages in Magway Region are short of drinking water and always face water scarcity in years with poor rainfall. Locals in those villages have been waiting for early arrival of monsoon.

Villages in surrounding areas of Myingyan in Mandalay region have begun to experience water shortage.

Meanwhile, the five-year water supply project for rural areas which was launched in 2011 has covered 39,745 villages in central Myanmar up to 2014-15 fiscal year.

It is targeted to dig artesian wells and lakes in over 3,552 villages in 2015-16 fiscal year, according to Livestock, Fishery and Rural Development Ministry.

There are over 60,000 villages across the country and the project has so far reached 62 percent of them, with more than 25, 000 villages still lacking access to water.

Myanmar's climate is roughly divided into three seasons, summer, rainy season and winter season.

The hottest season of summer run from the end of February to the beginning of May. Endi