The embankment of Pyu Creek dam is 1,020 feet long and 245 feet high with a storage capacity of 632,530 acre-feet of water and a surface area of 14,570 acres.
The Pyu Creek dam, located near milepost 110 west of the expressway in Bago Region, is continuously releasing water to irrigate approximately 18,000 acres of summer paddy fields.
The Pyu Creek dam stores and regulates water flowing from the Bago mountain ranges, supporting the agricultural and livestock sectors in Pyu and Ottwin townships while also generating electricity, thereby benefiting both the State and farmers. Out of the 90,000 acres of irrigated area, irrigation water is being supplied to some 18,000 acres out of already-implemented 19,450 acres of farmlands, and once the Pyu Creek dam project is completed, water will be fully distributed across the entire irrigated area.
Water is supplied to the summer paddy fields in Pyu Township starting from 1 January and is usually provided until the second week of May or the last week of June. Last year, a total of 17,389 acres of summer paddy fields were irrigated from the Pyu Creek dam, and this year, about 18,000 acres are being supplied with water. The paddy varieties include Sinthukha, 90- day, Hnankauk, Yadana Toe, Vietnam, Yezin Pawsan-1, and Aungnaingtoe. In particular, 90-day rice varieties are the most widely grown, and in this summer rice season, 100 acres of Shwebo Pawsan rice varieties have been experimentally planted at Nyaungpintha plantation at milepost 107, while 11,396 acres of oilseed crops in Pyu Township are also being irrigated.
“The water used by the hydroelectric power plant at the Pyu Creek dam flows through the diversion weir and is sent daily to the summer paddy fields of Pyu Township via the left and right canals. This area receives ample rainfall, so irrigation is not needed during the rainy season, but it is essential in the summer. In addition to paddy, oilseeds crops are also cultivated during the summer. It is gratifying to see the fields green and the crops flourishing thanks to the water supply. Once the Pyu Creek dam multi-project, including the left canal system, is completed, it will be able to supply water to the designated 90,000 acres of irrigated area, so the fields in Ottwin Township will also become green. Since the department’s main responsibilities include flood prevention and control, in addition to protecting the Sittoung River Basin and Pyu from floods during the rainy season, the ability to provide water to the summer paddy fields relied on by farmers will be highly beneficial to the country and the people,” said U Thlanja, Assistant Director (4) of Construction Division (1) of the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department.
The Pyu Creek dam is of gravel-filled embankment, 1,020 feet long and 245 feet high, with a storage capacity of 632,530 acre-feet of water. The dam can store a surface area of 14,570 acres, an average annual rainfall of 100 inches, and an average annual inflow of 668,360 acre-feet, resulting in a cashment area of 422 square miles. The Pyu Creek dam project was initiated in 2000- 2001 financial year, and the dam was completed in 2012- 2013. The diversion weir was finished in 2013-2014, and the irrigation system is scheduled for completion in 2028-2029. Once the project is fully completed, it will be able to supply irrigation water to the entire 90,000-acre designated area. — Nyein Thu (MNA)/TH
