By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar has started land reclamation in Laputta township, one of the worst-hit areas in southwestern Ayeyawaddy delta in a severe cyclone storm that ravaged Myanmar early this month, official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Thursday.
With a loan of over 441 million Kyats (over 400,000 U.S. dollars) disbursed to farmers in the area, the authorities have also provided paddy seeds and fertilizer for the restoration of agricultural works in the area, the report said.
Besides sending some 600 buffaloes to the area, the authorities were providing 238 powered tillers for ploughing some paddy fields damaged by the storm, said the report.
Ayeyawaddy division, along with Yangon and Bago divisions, is major rice producing area in Myanmar.
According to official statistics, over 1 million acres (405,000 hectares) of cultivable lands were flooded by sea water in seven townships in Ayeyawaddy division, three in Yangon division, two in Bago division and three in Mon state during the storm with over 200,000 cattle killed.
Myanmar estimated the damage and loss caused by the storm at 10.67 billion U.S. dollars with 5.5 million people affected. Of the affected, 1.064 million homeless have been rescued and evacuated to temporary shelter.
The government has said that large amount of fertilizer, more fuel and hand- and power- tillers are needed for cultivation to replace the cattle lost in the storm as well as fishing boats and vessels, fishing gears and fuel oil for resuming fishery work.
Tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states — Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2-3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon suffered the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructure damage.
The deadly cyclone has killed 77,738 people and left 55,917 missing and 19,359 injured so far, according to the official statistics.