Environmental groups want the operators of the Myanmar-China oil and gas export pipelines to do more to reverse the damage allegedly caused to ecosystems in parts of Myanmar, writes Amanda Battersby.

The Pyin Oo Lwin Green Organisation claims that the gas pipeline has impacted underwater springs and other water sources.

“We presented the destruction of the ecosystem and forest to the officials concerned but they did not take any effective measures,” said Sai Min Latt from the organisation.

He last week raised his concerns to officials of the respective pipelines’ operating consortia, SEAOP and SEAGP, during a corporate social responsibility initiative in Pyin Oo Lwin Township

“The local people want to see the repair of the damage of ecosystem caused by the building of this Sino-Myanmar gas and oil pipeline.

“Pyin Oo Lwin was once a famous hill resort but now destruction of ecosystem worsens climate change damage here,” said Sai Min Latt.

Sein Tun, a member of Sino-Myanmar Pipeline Watch Committee, echoed his concerns. “The pipeline runs through forests and rivers… they [the pipeline operators] did their best to circumvent these forests and rivers but the damage of ecosystem cannot be fully avoided.

“Also we have not yet seen any remedial measures performed by them to repair this environmental damage,” Sein Tun told news portal Mizzima.com.

The oil and gas pipelines run from Kyauk Phyu through Rakhine State, Magwe Region, Mandalay Region and northern Shan State in Myanmar into China.

The 771-kilometre oil pipeline can transport up to 22 million tonnes per year of crude whilst the capacity of the 793-kilometre gas trunk line is 12 billion cubic metres per annum.

The pipeline operating consortia said that to date they have carried out more than 50 CSR projects in the Mandalay region.

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Green concerns over pipe