During the reign of the Myanmar Kings, the Old Mu Canal and the Nanda Tank, Shwebo District; the Shwelaung Canal, Shwetachaung Canal, Aungpinle Tank, Nanda Tank, Mandalay District; Man Canal, Myaungmadaw Canal, Minbu District; and Meiktila Tank and other minor tanks and irrigation works, Meiktila District were undertaken and accomplished.

King Anawrahta prominently ranks high amongst the Myanmar Kings who launched irrigation works. The Kinda, Nganaingthe, Pyaungpya and Kyeme Weirs, with reliance on the Panlaung River and Nwater, Ngapyaung and Kunsay Weirs, dependent on the Zawgyi River were constructed by King Anawrahta. The benefits of those diversion weirs accrue till to day. And as historical records furnish that King Anawrahta renovated the Meikhtila Tank, it can be presumed that the tank was constructed prior to the reign of King Anawrahta.

The completed dams, canals and tanks were maintained and protected systematically by the appointment of staff in progressive ranking such as dam labourers, clerks, convenors, supervisors, inspectors etc., under high ranking officer Beginning from the reign of King Anawrahta and successive monarchs, farmers engaged in cultivation in the command area, were required to give (2) basket of paddy per unit of (1.75) acres, as land revenue, and subject to a fine of (K. 1,000) for damages to canals and (K.100) fro damages to paddy lands.

Subsequent to the entry of the British into Myanmar, and attendant colonial period, a Public Works Department was established in the year 1861, for maintenance of buildings and new constructions. And during those activities relating to irrigation were solely handled by the Public Works Department.

In the process, roads and buildings together with undertakings pertaining to irrigation gradually expanded. During (1881) and (1917), major works such as the Shwebo canal, Mandaly canal, the Mon, Mann, Salin canals, together with the Kyangin, Myanaung and Ngawun embankments came into operation. In addition, the construction of the Bago-Sittang and Twante Canals, as conduits for speedy transportation of food supplies, timber and bamboo at lower haulage costs, were accomplished.

In about 1917, he functions under the Public Works Department were reorganized into two sectors, as the Buildings Branch and the Irrigation Branch. It could be assumed that the said juncture gave mergence to the Irrigation Department as separate entity. Following the Second World War and the retreat of the British; and subsequent to the Government of Myanmar's evacuation to India, the Irrigation Branch was placed under the Agriculture and Rural Commercial Branch. After Myanmar's independence in 1948. and subsequent to 1966, the Irrigation Branch, continued maintenance of existing irrigation networks for agriculture development and also undertook new projects in various parts of Myanmar. And when the Department and Corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest were reorganized in 1972, the Land Use and certain components of the Agriculture and Rural Development Corporation were incorporated in the Irrigation branch and reconstituted as the Irrigation Department, with responsibilities for the whole of Myanmar.