Drawing life lessons from Asian Highway landslides

A series of terrible landslides struck the Asian Highway on 7 and 8 August 2023, specifically along the route leading to Myawady in Kayin State. This unfortunate occurrence has illuminated several key points that warrant consideration. Officials concerned are responsible for checking the bad event and investigating the root causes of a regrettable incident.
Tragically, the road section between Kawkareik and Myawady on the Asian Highway faced a massive landslide, disrupting both transport and trade activities. Evidently, the driving force behind this landslide was an onslaught of torrential rains. The landslide area on some 150 feet long part of the highway is situated between the 149th and 150th mileposts near the Tawnaw waterfall on the Myawady-Kawkareik stretch of the Asian Highway, nestled within the Dawna Mountain range.
The forecast suggests that the persistence of such heavy downpours could potentially trigger further instances of landslides along this highway. Consequently, the authorities must adopt preventive strategies to avert future landslides at this site. Swift repairs to the damaged highway are also imperative, ensuring that the flow of transportation and trade can swiftly be restored.
The repercussions of such landslides extend beyond the surface, affecting not only the domestic market but various other sectors as well. Within the realm of the domestic market, the prices of commodities heavily reliant on imports from Thailand undergo rapid escalation within a matter of days. It’s incumbent upon citizens, driven by a sense of patriotism and compassion, not to exploit the unfortunate occurrence of landslides for their personal gain.
Landslides on the Asian Highway bring traffic to a grinding halt, thereby compelling business entities to seek alternative routes to facilitate trade between neighbouring nations. This rerouting comes at a considerable financial cost, a burden that often falls on the shoulders of these businesses. In this context, they exercise restraint, refraining from exploiting the situation by inflating the prices of their goods, as consumers grapple with concerns about rising costs.
According to the information, relevant departments and authorities prepare to build a bailey on the collapsed part of the highway as quickly as possible. In open season, the Department of Bridges plans to build a culvert or a bridge there. As time passes, the repairs to the affected section of the Asian Highway will undoubtedly be completed. However, the opportunistic profiteers should erase their greedy acts in time not to cause a burden on the market situation over the consumer people.