Myanmar: Chindwin River dangerously polluted by mercury: civil society

The upper reaches of the Chindwin River have become dangerously polluted from mercury used in illegal gold mining operations, civil society groups have warned.

The groups include the Kalay-Kabaw Basin Monitoring Institute which has called for pollution levels in the Chindwin to be checked.
“The mercury level in the Chindwin River should be measured because of the increasing number of illegal gold mining and panning operations in its upper reaches,” said U Kyaw Thet Win, a member of the institute, based in Kalay, Sagaing Division.
“People living along the river rely on it as a source of water and the mercury contamination levels are highly dangerous for them,” U Kyaw Thet Win said.
“The fish population has also been affected, so the river’s mercury levels should be checked,” he said.
http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/environment/item/10891-chindwin-river-dangerously-polluted-by-mercury-civil-society-groups