Aquestion was raised in the Pyithu Hluttaw seeking timely preservation measures for the environmental degradation caused by illegal gold mining around Indawgyi Lake, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in Kachin State.
The query was submitted by U Thet Paing Htoo, Hluttaw Representative for Hpakant Township, during the Pyithu Hluttaw session held on 4 November.
“The natural environment of the lake has been severely damaged mainly due to gold mining operations in the Indawgyi region. We cannot leave such damage as it is. All local ethnic people, including myself, must join hands to preserve it. That is why I raised the question in parliament, and the parliament explained the current security situation and the measures taken,” he said.
According to field studies by organizations monitoring the conservation of Indawgyi Lake, business operators are conducting illegal gold mining activities by paying illegal fees to various armed groups along the upper reaches of Mongnawng Creek, between Mongnawng and Indawgyi, upstream of Nyaungbin Village, and along the upper reaches of Namding Creek, which forms part of the Indawgyi Biosphere Reserve. — TWA/ZN