Local people in three villages of eastern Myanmar's Shan State will have access to clean and sufficient water once a Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC)-funded water access project is completed in the area, an official from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development said on Monday.

The project will not only benefit the targeted villages but also has the potential to be expanded to other areas, Soe Than, a deputy director general of the department told Xinhua.

The project is being carried out in three villages in Nyaungshwe Township, Yatsauk Township, and Loilem Town in Shan State with the support of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) special fund 2023.

Started in August 2023, the project is expected to be finished by March 2025, the deputy director general said, adding that the project aims to supply purified drinking water to areas experiencing water scarcity.

The LMC special fund provides annual support, with the 2022 project focusing on the Delta region. In 2023, the project shifted to the hilly regions, targeting Shan State and selecting villages facing significant water challenges, Soe Than said.

Proposals for drinking water access projects for 2024 have been submitted, aiming to implement similar initiatives in three villages in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital city of Myanmar, he added.