Flash Floods at Swar Dam: A River of Chaos Hits Central Myanmar
On the morning of August 29, 2018, a breach in the Swar irrigation dam sent a torrent of water running through villages and cutting a stretch of the vital Yangon‑Mandalay‑Naypyitaw highway. It’s a textbook case of nature saying, “You chose your path, now witness the flood!”
Evacuation Chaos
- Over 5,400 people fled to monasteries and safe zones in Yedashe township.
- More than 1,500 residents sought shelter in untouched Thagaya town.
- Another 1,500 evacuees from at least four nearby villages took refuge at a Buddhist monastery.
Fire Brigade to the Rescue
The Myanmar Fire Services Department dispatched a brigade as early as 5:30 a.m. (2300 GMT) to tackle the dam breach. They rode on bamboo rafts and kayaks, hauling children and elders through knee‑deep water like a sweaty, “Help me!” circus act.
What Went Wrong?
The dam’s spillway was broken, unleashing water onto villages adjacent to the highway.
At around 2 p.m., Mya Min, a 67‑year‑old resident, reported that water flow from the breached dam had nearly halted. “Only one‑third of the normal water remains,” he said.
Authorities claimed no casualties, and officials were already drafting relocation plans and rerouting traffic through older roads.
Highway in Limbo
The bridge over Swar creek on the Yangon‑Mandalay highway had to be shut down. A journalist, Min Min, noted that while the bridge‑spanning water hadn’t overtopped the structure, the undertow was so fierce it could have turned that concrete piece into a moat.
Leadership Gets the Scoop
Min Aung Hlaing, the army’s commander‑in‑chief, and Vice President Henry Van Thio were briefed and personally visited the dam and flooded area, giving the situation a top‑level eyeball.
Why Does It Matter?
- The dam, built in 2004, can store 216,350 acre‑feet of water.
- It irrigates over 20,000 acres of farmland, playing a major role in the region’s agriculture.
- Myanmar’s heavy monsoon rains routinely cause widespread flooding—last month pushed 100,000 people out of their homes, claiming at least 11 lives.
- There are controversial plans for hydroelectric projects to tackle chronic power shortages, but environmental concerns loom large.
- The disaster echoes the recent Laotian hydroelectric dam collapse, which displaced tens of thousands and caused at least 27 deaths—an unsettling reminder of the safety stakes for Southeast Asian dams.
In the end, the dam’s breach didn’t just turn a rural evening into a water‑logged nightmare—it also served as a stark reminder that we’re all playing with water that can get back, sometimes faster than we can wrap our humble umbrellas.
