June 21
STARTING from 15 June, Mezali diversion weir has been providing irrigation water for over 60,000 acres of monsoon crops in Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department in Pwintbyu Township, Magway Region in the current 2022-2023 Financial Year.
“We ensure adequate water source for monsoon crop farming. The irrigation is distributed to the farming acres through southern and northern Mone canal,” said U Ye Htut Aung, a staff officer of the township department of Irrigation and Water Utilization Management.
“Our department has been irrigating farming acres since 15 June. We distribute agricultural water through a network of canals and ditches from the dam so that the locals efficiently utilize the water supply and meet the yield target. This irrigation network for monsoon paddy and other crops will continue until 15 November. The department has also notified the farmers of the effective use of irrigated water and field operation timeline,” he elaborated.
The department is providing agricultural water through Mezali diversion weir to the farmers in each growing season. The farmers are also ploughing to remove weeds and also planting the paddy seedlings.
The locals in Pwintbyu Township plan to cultivate 69,094 acres of monsoon paddy, 9,665 acres of edible oil crops, 5,991 acres of various pulses, 2,449 acres of long-staple cotton, 4,434 acres of kitchen crops and 5,392 acres of herbs and forages, totalling 97,025 acres, according to monsoon crop acre data of the Agriculture Department in Pwintbyu Township.
The dams which can store large volume of water; Mone Creek dam in Sidoktara Township and Kyeeohn-kyeewa dam in Pwintbyu Township supplies water into Mezali diversion weir. A hydropower plant of those dams connects to national grid for power supply as well, according to Pwintbyu Township Department of Irrigation and Water Utilization Management. — Hlaing Win Lay/GNLM
