Water infrastructure reveals 2 sides of Myanmar's economic boom

Yangon

EVERY morning on his way to work in Yangon, builder Zaw Min Tun takes a swig of water at a Buddhist temple, a vital place to quench a thirst for the many ordinary citizens left behind by Myanmar's economic boom.

Bottled water is among the plethora of consumer industries set to take off as the country emerges from decades of isolated junta rule, putting more money in the pockets of the country's rich and a growing middle class. But, at around 300 kyats (36 Singapore cents) a litre, it remains too pricey for the majority of people in a country where the average annual per capita income of US$1,105 remains one of the lowest in Asia.