Feature: Myanmar's iconic 200-year-old bridge under threat from severe flooding

The majestic U Pein bridge which spans the Taungthaman Lake near Amarapura, south of the Mandalay in Myanmar, has seen no patrons' journey from one side to the other of late, as the longest bridge in the region is at the risk of being submerged as water levels have risen to dangerous levels.

Local authorities fear the historic bridge may sink into the lake due to the recent flooding of the country's giant Ayeyarwady River.

The 1,208 meter long iconic U Pein Bridge is one of the most famous and beautiful sights in the historical city of Mandalay and its unique construction of teak planks more then two centuries ago by the lords of the village has drawn visitors from far and wide as well as serving locals, but fears are growing as the water level of the Taungthaman Lake has almost reached the underside of the bridge.

The rising water levels of the country's great Ayeyawady and Chindwin rivers are also threatening a number of areas in the Mandalay and Sagaing regions, in upper Myanmar, and the homes and livelihoods of those in the surrounding areas are currently in jeopardy, with authorities saying the danger of flooding will remain for the next few days.

Thousands of residents have been evacuated to shelters, nearby monasteries, community centers and schools, due to the rivers flooding in more than 10 townships of the affected regions, which have seen villages, roads and fields completely flooded.

The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has alerted people living in low-lying areas, particularly in the Mandalay, Sagaing and Ayeyawaddy regions, to take precautions against the flooding, local media said recently.

The department has also extended warnings to the Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing and Ayeyawaddy, Tanintharyi regions, as well as Nay Pyi Taw, capital of Myanmar, and the Rakhine, Kayin, Chin and Mon states, for the possible torrential downpours over the next few days.

"The water levels of the rivers will continue increasing as the downpours continue. Waves and heavy wind will also batter the country's coastline,"U Tun Lwin, a local meteorology and hydrology expert, told Xinhua.

Three people lost their lives on Sunday in the flooded township of Matayar in the Mandalay region, local sources reported.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has been working tirelessly on rescue and relocation of missions of the residents in the affected areas.

The country had previously suffered from floods caused by Cyclone Komen in late July and early August of last year.

As a result, the national rice production of Myanmar in 2015 was down 2 percent on average compared to the past three years due to the floods, official reports showed.

Nearly 470,000 hectares of rice paddies were affected and almost a quarter of a million livestock were killed, including 23,000 hectares of shrimp ponds in the Rakhine state and Sagaing region where the impact of the cyclone was the most severe, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report.

This summer has seen the strongest El Nino-related weather strike Myanmar in five centuries, the meteorology agency said, with La Nina-linked weather patterns now expected to follow in October, November and December, and through the first half of 2017.

The country must focus on its emergency preparedness for storms related to La Nina as Myanmar has already experienced the devastation brought by such storms in the past, U Tun Lwin previously told Xinhua. Endit