Yangon, 10 October
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said at a time when people across the country are unable to get access to electricity on time, plans should be developed to use electricity in rail transportation.
On October 7, the military leader made the remarks while inspecting the diesel locomotive, carriage, bridge frame, and heavy machinery workshops in the yard of the Myanmar Railways’ Mahlwagon station.
According to the military leader, it is critical to be able to manufacture electric locomotives and ensure that electricity can be used in the transportation system.
A civilian woman told Than Lwin Times said, “The military leader’s statement that he will run an electric train while not even being able to provide electricity on time while the country is in crisis is ridiculous. We don’t trust Min Aung Hlaing and we see him as a kind of crazy person”.
After the military coup, the people no longer have access to state-owned electricity full-time, but only on a rotating system, and after two and a half years of the coup, the power outage is getting worse day by day.
In this situation, junta chief often spoke incessantly in meetings about running electric trains and electric cars in transportation and blamed the suspension of the Myitsone project for the power outages.
An SME entrepreneur also noted, “It is impossible to run an electric train when the authorities are struggling to provide electricity regularly, even for normal social life.”
The Military Council’s Minister of Electric Power said at an energy forum in Kazakhstan that they are making an effort to generate electricity using coal due to the high demand for electricity in Myanmar.
Furthermore, the military council asked for technical assistance to generate electricity using coal without harming the environment, and Kazakhstan’s energy minister agreed to cooperate with Myanmar to meet its energy needs.
Veteran politician U Pe Than said, “It is not easy to generate electricity using coal in the country where even hydropower is being sold, and the military council is deceiving the people with beautiful words when the military and political situation is getting worse. These will cause a lot of environmental damage. Under the democratic government in Myanmar, efforts were made in the Shan, Karen, Mon, and Tanintharyi regions to implement coal-fired power projects in Myanmar, but local residents who were concerned about environmental damage strongly protested against it.
Among them are the An Din coal-fired power project in Mon State’s Ye Township, which has been declared under martial law, and the Tee Kyit coal-fired power project in Shan State.
News-Than Lwin Times
Photo-MOI
Thanlwintimes