Semnak Lairam: Streams and Rivers in Thau Village

Thau village, situated near the Indo-burma border, is a large village. It is in Thantlang township. There are two wards of Thau village namely New Village and Old Village. Old village is in the upper north of New village. Thau village is situated in the slope of Bopi Hill which is part of ridge of Thau Tlang.

From Thau Tlang, the ridges go down slowly to four directions. From Thau Tlang one mountain ridge, Faiceu Tlang, runs to the eastward, Leichia Bo and Satharkua Tlang runs to the westward, Hmanleknakbo Hill and then Ainaknu Haunak Hill and Bopi Hill run to the Southward. One ridge Runs to northwest as Innral Tlang near Ruakhua village and then it becomes Saikah Ridge. Thau village is situated on a small flat hill south of Bopi Hill. Bopi Hill is very beautiful. It is a prayer mountain for Thau villagers. It is one of the most charming mountains in this region.

Hriawh Va River

Streams and Rivers around Thau area run southward into Hriawhva River, which is in 3 miles south of Thau village that runs from the east to west. It is the largest river in Thau region and is one of the largest tributaries of Tio River. Hriawh Va river form some large valleys throughout Thau territory and people grow rice int the those farm lands.

Rice farm land in the Hriawh Va valley

The largest streams in Thau territory are Sertawk in the east which runs from the north to south and is the largest trabutary of Hriawhva river. Phuhlukva also runs from north to south in west of Thau village. Vachia, east of the village, and Lungkhawnva, west of the village, also are big streams which also run from north to south in east. Sertawkva, Vachia, Lungkhawn and Phuhlukva run parralel from north to south into Hriawhva River. Khawnghlun and Khawnglai va streams start their sources in south of Thautu forest and are the source of Phuhlukva. Water in Phuhluk va is cold and dense. Phuhluk va is the best place to build hydroelectric power.

Streams from Ciriang Tlang run northward from the top of Ciriang Tlang ridge. Khuaiva the largest stream runs in the border of Thau and Hriangkhan village which is the main source of Hriawhva River. Khuaiva water falls is relatively big and tall in this region.

Hriawhva flows into Tio River which is the largest trabutary of Tipi or Kaladan River which runs into the Bay of Bangal. Therefore Hriawhva is pretty small river but many kinds of fish live there. The following fish live in Hriawhva and it's tributaries:

1. Ngarul
2. Ngavang
3. Ngaleng
4. Rulcal
5. Ngahler
6. Ngaramh
7. Fungtial
8. Lengphar
9. Ngasumsang
10. Chambak
11. Cantial
12. Ngapum (there are 3-5 kinds of ngapum)
13. Lole
14. Chawntonh
15. Berbek
16. Saiphungpulungral
17. Ngakhing (only in the lower part of the river)
18. Hmurchia
19. Ngavokpi
20. Dangte (two kinds of frog)
21. Ngaikuang (3-4 kinds of shrimp)
22. Cangai (3-5 kinds of crabs)

Bungtlang, Ruabuk and Thau villagers share and use Hriawh Va and its fish the most. People killed fish by nets, poisoning, bomb, dynamo, fishing trap, traditional way of fishing (such as ngahringdawi, parathlei, ngakahbawh, bawmdonh etc.) and almost all the fish are gone in the past 20 years. The river is almost empty without fish. Therefore TABC and CRDP are trying to educate the local people how to take care their rivers and streams and the fish in it. They issued rules and regulations throughout the township. They forbid killing the fish by any kinds of poisons, bombing, dynamo and forbid catching fish during they have egg. As a result the fish population grow again and there are a lot of fish in the streams and rivers in Thau area.

Todays, the famous road Saisihchuaklam runs through the valley of Hriawh Va. Chin State government is building iron bridge on the river right now. When they finish the bridge this car road will be a popular border trade road between India and Myanmar.