Sepanggar also facing emergency situation: MP
Published on: Sunday, March 17, 2024
By:
Jonathan Nicholas, Johan Aziz, Marutin Ansiung and Iskandar Dzulkifli
“Many have requested for water but at the same time many places are inaccessible by lorry tankers so we can only give out mineral water. We have pledged to help but it is uneasy with limited supply," said Mustapha.
Kota Kinabalu: The drought has begun affecting the highlands of already dry Sepanggar, said its MP Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, with water reserves at critical level and fires becoming rampant.
“Before this, the water issue had only affected the lowlands but the gravity water supply is depleting. Folks are heading to higher ground in search of water.
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“Many have requested for water but at the same time many places are inaccessible by lorry tankers so we can only give out mineral water. We have pledged to help but it is uneasy with limited supply.
“I believe the Government should come up with an effective way to tackle the problem. The Sepanggar office is also finding ways to improve the gravity water supply,” he said.
On the detrimental impacts of El Nino, he hoped that a refined blueprint in preparing the people through education, putting an end to open burning, could be further implemented.
“El Nino recurs annually and happened to strike during the fasting month of Ramadan this year.
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“Papar district was recently declared a disaster emergency situation but Sepanggar is also facing the same problem. It is not our jurisdiction to make the call but we want the same attention,” he said when met after officiating a breaking of fast event in collaboration with the Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) and Ming Garden Hotels.
Ming Garden has pledged RM1 from every Ramadan buffet ticket sales to the orphanage.
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The Sabah FRD on Wednesday recorded 1,011 open fire cases since January with Tuaran being among the highest of seven districts (220 cases), followed by Kota Belud (140), Kota Kinabalu (95), Lintas (82), Penampang (63) with 58 cases each in Kuala Penyu and Kimanis.
In KENINGAU, Kg Matanoi villagers here are devoid of any water source as even the river they depended upon for gravity water has dried up and there is no alternative.
All because of the hot and dry weather and Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) Cecilia Juakim asked Bingkor Assemblyman and Assistant Minister of Works, Datuk Robert Tawik, to seek the Water Department cooperation for water tanker delivery.
“While for other uses, villagers will try to dig wells to get water,” she said. On Wednesday, the District Office sent 7,000 litres to the village. Villagers were urged to be frugal in using their supply, until the next delivery.
Eight villages in Mukim Bunga Raya in Bingkor were also affected by lack of gravity tap water supply. They are Kg Tonobon Baru, Nahaba, Melidang, Mongitom Ulu, Mongitom Tengah, Mongitom Baru, Bunga Raya and Liau Ulu.
Robert said they would receive clean water supply in stages. Kg Liau Ulu has been affected the past two weeks, causing the residents to use river water. However, the quality of the river water was feared to be unclean and harmful to health.
Robert said the Water Department plant in the Bayayo river near Kg Bunsit was getting shallower. “If the drought continues for the next two weeks, it is expected that the supply of treated water in this district will also be affected,” he said.
He hoped the Government would do immediate cloud seeding to facilitate rain.
In MEMBAKUT, Assemblyman Datuk Dr Ariffin Arif said water was supplied to Kg Tiong Baru, Kg Poring, Kg Kiulu Baru and Kg Tamalang using tankers after their gravity supply dried up.
“The distribution of water supply to all these villages was implemented the past few weeks and continues, with deliveries once a week.
“This effort is also emphasised by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor, who advocates for water aid implementation even before an emergency is declared,” he said.
Ariffin, who is also State Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, said the Membakut Water Treatment Plant supplies 17 million litres daily for the area, including Kuala Penyu and Bongawan.
He said three million litres were sent to Kuala Penyu and the remainder to several other nearby areas.
“Currently, we have a total water storage capacity of 10.5 million litres, distributed across two storage tanks with capacities of 6 million litres and 4.5 million litres, respectively,” he said.
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