A satellite image of the Ayeyarwaddy at Mandalay, with the city on the left.

THE Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems focused on improving navigation channels in the Ayeyarwaddy River during its 2004-2005 work season which ended on May 15, a senior official said last week.

Navy Captain (Ret.) Chit Khin, the director general of the department, under the Ministry of Transport, said the work was essential because the river was the main means of transporting fuel oil to upper Myanmar and was also a potential major route for goods sent from western China to other parts of the world via Yangon.

“We gave the Ayeyarwaddy high priority because it is very important for the economy,” he said.

The directorate worked at five sections of the waterway during the season, which began last November.

The greatest effort had been put into improving navigation channels between Mandalay and Myingyan, where the Chindwin joins the Ayeyarwaddy, said Captain Chit Khin.

“This part of the river is the most complicated to manage,” he said, adding that both waterways served as a link between ports in upper and lower Myanmar.

Captain Chit Khin said the department had also built groynes in the Ayeyarwaddy at Mandalay to divert its flow so that the Gan-wan port serving the city could be kept open.

“If we can’t use Gaw-wan port, there will be a big problem to supply fuel oil to upper Myanmar,” he said.

He said that up until 1988, the river was often not navigable during the summer, leading to fuel shortages in upper Myanmar.

“We had to use another port which cost more money and time,” Captain Chit Khin said.

Ensuring that the river was navigable throughout the year would enable it to be used to transport goods from western China to other parts of a world, which would generate economic benefits for Myanmar.

He said the most northerly port on the Ayeyarwaddy, at Bhamo, was close to the border with China, where traders were keen to ship products to Yangon for distribution throughout the world.

“Our neighbour has great interest in the waterway, as vessels that can carry loads of about 500 tons can use it to transport thousands of containers at low cost,” Captain Chit Khin said.

The directorate, which was established by the government in 1999 to replace the Waterways Department, surveys the country’s waterways every year to determine what projects were needed during the annual work season.

Captain Chit Khin said advances in technology had enabled the directorate to work more effectively. In 2001, the directorate began buying satellite images of waterways from Myanmar technology companies. The first images were of the Sittaung River.

“We have been using satellite images to improve the channels in the Ayeyar-waddy since 2002 and it has made our work much easier,” he said.

Captain Chit Khin said human activities, including the inappropriate extraction of sand and gravel from river beds and slurry caused by mining, contributed to making navigation difficult along waterways.

The directorate this year operated a fleet of about 70 vessels, mainly on the Ayeyarwaddy, Chindwin, Thanlwin and Kaladan rivers.

The fleet includes dredgers, survey vessels and buoy-laying and general purpose craft.