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The Yangon region government has come under flak since March, when it announced the launch of a new Yangon City project at the west bank of Yangon River. If and when the first phase of the US$5 billion development is complete, it will include five village townships, two bridges, 26km of artery roads, 10 sq km of industrial estate, power plants, transmission and distributions facilities as well as fresh water supply and wastewater treatment plants.
Development of the new city is necessary, government officials say, given the rate at which Yangon’s population is expected to expand. By 2040, the population is expected to double to 10 million from 5 million in 2014, according to official estimates. In that light, the government believes additional jobs, homes, utilities and infrastructure, embodied within the new city, is required.
However, members of parliament and the business community have voiced objections and concerns regarding the government’s ability to supervise and manage a project of such scale given the long list of problems it has yet to solve at the existing city.
Among those problems are water distribution and electricity supply. “The government should describe exactly and provide details of how it plans to ensure the supply of drinking water and electricity when they have yet to find a solution to these existing problems we are seeing in the city now,” said MP U Than Naing Oo.
“We are still seeing water shortages in some areas, while power cuts, though less frequent than before, are still common, especially during the rainy months,” he added.
The resettlement of squatters is another potential problem the regional government should carefully plan for. “If not properly considered, the problems we are seeing with squatters in Yangon now could potentially be amplified in the new city as more people from other states and regions move to Yangon to explore job opportunities,” said MP U Yan Shin.
Ref: Myanmar Times News
