Meiktila Lake built by king Anawrahta of Bagan Era is a royal lake of historical importance. Today the lakes water storage capacity is 20,971 acre ft and irrigates an area of 41,513 acres. Meiktila town is at the heart of arid central Myanmar and has to depend on the lake for drinking water and cultivation purposes as well.

As the lake is vital, dependence on natural inflow of water only is not enough, human effort to supplement water inflow is imperative.

The lake is also the centre piece of the task to green the Meiktila Plains and it is necessary to modulate it to the full capacity.

Recently our MRTV-3 crew had a chance to document the Meiktila Lake in its full splendour. We also had the opportunity to learn works going on to modulate the lake and enhancing the development of the region.

U Aye Thein, Director of Mandalay Division Irrigation Department was interviewed in the course of our visit.

“There are dams and lakes in the Meiltila region. Meiktila Lake and Nyaung Yan-Minhla Lake need renovations which we planned and accomplished first and foremost. Secondly, there are dams in the region which have more water inflow than they can contain. We aim to modulate Meiktila Lake with the surplus water inflow available. Thirdly, there are many village dams and ponds. By renovating them, we can improve water storage capacity and water inflow resulting in the improvement of cultivation. Presently we are concentrating on the success of the three projects” he said.

The Meiktila Lake has two portions: the south and the north. The northern portion receives direct water inflow that results in heavy silting there. Then the clear water enter the southern portion.

The Irrigation Department raised the sluice gate between the north and south portions of the lake one more foot higher. This enable to store more water on the northern portion and the southern portion can also store more water consequently.

Once the lake was receiving lesser water inflow, but now it is full. The lake is the splendour of the town once again.

We also visited the modulating dams of Meiktila Lake. First we arrived at ChaungKauk dam in Pyawbwe Township. ChaungKauk dam commissioned in 1996 is a modulating earthen dam of Meiktila Lake. It can regulate annual water inflow of 28,000 acre ft. It can also irrigate 11,500 acres of crop land.

Deputy Director of Irrigation Department, U Myo Tun said, “For the greening of Meiktila Plains, we constructed ChaungKauk and three other dams as modulating dams of Meiktila Lake. The lesser dams between Chaungkauk and Meiktila are (1) Lon-Ngin, (2) Let-Khook-Pin and (3) NyaungKone. The dams are connected by four feeder canals, about 8 miles long. Water inflow into Lon-Ngin from ChaungKauk dam started on 13th September 2005 and from NyaungKine dam into Meiktila Lake started on 8th October 2005.”

LonNgin dam is an earthen one near LonNgin village in Pyawvwe Township that regulates the inflow of 2,000 acre ft of water.

LetKhookPin dam regulates the annual water inflow of 1,900 acre ft. The dam also irrigates its environs where paddy fields are thriving.

Mandalay Division Manager of Myanma Agriculture Service, U Aung Kyin said, “The Meiktila Plains have paddy acreage of 280,000 but only 150,000 acres have sufficient water to grow paddy. With all these modulating dams, we will get sufficient water to grow more paddies. There is also a plan to take water from Zawgyi dam through Myogyi Point. If we accomplish the plans underway, we hope to grow one million acres of paddy in the Meiktila Plains.”

We had a chance to document the completed feeder canal between LetKhookPin dam and Naung Kone dam. NyaungKone dam is also an earthen dam which regulates the annual water inflow of 1,900 acre ft.

The new dams LonNgin, LetKhookPin and NyaungKone dams are completed recently in 2005-2006. These dams are modulating dams of Myeiktila Lake and they will also irrigate more crop land.

Mondaing dam is another modulating dam of Meiktila Lake.

U Myo Myint Aung, Assistant Director of Irrigation Department, Meik, said, “ Here we are viewing Mondaing canal and Mondaing creek Mondaing feeder canal is 8.38 miles. The creek is about 10 miles long. Mondaing dam is primarily a modulating dam of Meiktila Lake.

Mondaing dam built across Mondaing Chaung Creek near Mondaing village was commissioned in 1966-67. The dam’s capacity is 22,123 acre ft in active storage and irrigates 6,880 acres of crop land in the environs. Through the feeder canal, it modulates Meiktila Lake. Feeder canals from Mondaing and ChaungKauk, LonNgin, LetKhookPin and NyaungKone meet at a point near Meiktila which we documented.

NyaungYanMinhla Lake in the Meiktila Plains is also an important source in the greening endeavour.

NyaungYan Minhla Lake was made during the time of NyaungYan principality of the region. Embankment was made with rock. Water storage of the lake was diminishing and the Government made effort to revitalize it. The lake irrigates over 27,455 acres today.

All in all, the greening of Meiktila Plains is gaining momentum firstly with the participation of the locals with their village dams, ponds and awareness, secondly the renovation of major lakes and dams by the Government and thirdly capturing every available water source that had been wasted by constructing new modulating dams to sustain the major lakes and dams.