regional wood energy development programme in asia ... - CES (IISc)

Although rural in character, Hlaingdet is a prospering village in comparison with the other
supply centres. A government owned canned fruit factory as well as an agricultural seed
production centre are located near the village. Although grid electricity is available and used in
these two facilities, the village proper is still without electricity.
4.1.2 Thahtaygon Village
Thahtaygon lies 14 miles from Thazi and is also a bamboo fuel collection and trade centre.
There are about 40 regular bamboo gatherers who work for the two middlemen. Besides buying
bamboo on their own account the middlemen also supply bamboo bundles to the traders in
Hlaingdet for which they are paid a commission of 100-150 kyats per truck. The main occupation
of the people is farming (dry cultivation). As a secondary source of income they rely on bamboo
fuel collection and quarrying. Bamboo is collected from unclassed and reserved forests adjoining
Thazi and Pyawbwe, about 7 to 8 miles from the village. Grid electricity is available at the
government owned quarry near the village of Payangasu, about one mile away from Thahtaygon.
However, similar to Hlaingdet, the surrounding villages are still without electricity. Water is also in
short supply and villagers have to carry water from the nearby river. Thahtaygon is the poorest
community among the fuel supply centres of the study area.
4.1.3 Kywetatson Village
Kywetatson lies 15 miles from Thazi and is the main charcoal and brick supply centre for
the lowland plains. Besides fuelwood from the surrounding area a considerable amount of wood
is obtained from the Yinmabin and Yebokson areas (mainly for the brick kilns). The reason for this
is that the permits for local woodfuel gathering which allow only the supply of 3,000 tons of
fuelwood for brick burning and the production of 2,500 bags of charcoal is insufficient to meet the
actual demand.
4.1.4 Yinmabin Village
Yinmabin, which lies at an elevation of 1,200 feet is 21 miles from Thazi. Being the gateway
to Shan State means that both road and railway traffic make stops here. Because of this, it has
also become a trading centre. There is a hospital, a high school and a police station but it is still
treated as a village by the administrative sector. Water is scarce and there is no grid electricity. It
is surrounded by forests and as it has three sawmills, which supply mill off-cuts and sawdust to
Thazi, Meiktila and Yenanchaung, it has become the major supply point for fuelwood to the dry
zone. Most of the people employed as fuelwood gatherers come from the nearby Monpinson and
Madan villages.
4.1.5 Yebokson Village
Yebokson (which lies about 25 miles from Thazi) and the surrounding villages of Kubyin,
Monpin and Oakkyin were founded by the Forest Department. This was done in order to have
sufficient labour during the seasonal forest operations such as tree girdling, felling and plantation
establishment. Both wood and bamboo are supplied with most woodfuel gatherers recruited from
Yebokson and the nearby villages. Yebokson and Kubyin reserves are the main supply sources
but only dry wood from dead and dying trees is allowed to be taken from the Kubyin reserve. The
source is about 6-7 miles away from the village.
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