Lawpita hydropower plant generates lower wattage ( Mizzima ) February 6, 2003

Lawpita hydropower plant generates lower wattage

Mizzima News
Feb 6, 2003

Due to the shortage of rainfall in Kaya State, Burma, in the last rainy season, run-off measure has been fallen causing the generators at Lawpita power station slow down and it is expected that the wattage will continue to decline this year.

Lawpita power plant is situated in Loikaw Township of Kaya State, generating electrical power in large quantity for Burma. Although Burmese military junta is saying that the generation of electricity is going to be boosted for having supports made by Japan during last year, the power productivity has been declined due to inadequate rainfall.

Lawpita hydropower plant is operating by the water of Biluu Chaung River, which is flowing across Loikaw City. A man comes today from Loikaw has explained about the shortage of water in Biluu Chaung River, “ I am a Loikaw native. There was a drought in last year, and now the water is still very less in Biluu Chaung and is not adequate for Lawpita to operate its generators. The situation is the same in cultivation. We grow maize, but all were dried after growing for some extent because of the drought and we didn’t have chance to reap it.”

It has known that similar drought was occurred in the past 3 years and in consequence, only one of the three generators of Lawpita hydro-power plant could operate and the wattage had been declined up to 50 % of total out put, according to paper records of Burmese Electric-power Enterprise, and so far it has not been made up for the deficiency.

The Burmese citizen are criticizing about the prospective high-rise in fuel prices in coming months due to the impact of growing cost in electrical bills and rise in fuel prices following the shortage of power supply from Lawpita.