Keningau villagers want wells as river polluted
KENINGAU: Villagers from six villages in Mukim Ansip in Sook who are facing problems obtaining clean water as a result of the pollution of Punteh river have asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to consider their request for tube wells and provision of solar energy.
Kuala Punteh village chief Palatus Labo said the villagers are also asking the government to consider providing a water tank to every villager to store water derived from tube wells.
“Villagers from six villages situated around the Punteh river have been experiencing the river pollution since seven years ago as a result of the discharge of toxic waste by palm oil mills into the river,” he claimed during a dialogue session held in Kampung Kuala Punteh here on Thursday.
The dialogue session was chaired by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, and attended by the Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Haji Kamarlin Haji Ombi, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister and Sook assemblyman, Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin and the director general of the Department of Environment, Datuk Halimah Hassan.
Palatus, who represented the villagers of the six villages, said that previously villagers used water from the Punteh river for their daily use, such as for bathing, drinking and washing. Now, because of the pollution, the villagers can no longer make use of the river water as it is harmful to their health. According to him, every twice a month, the palm oil mill would release toxic waste into the river, and although this practice has been reported, no action has been taken.
At the same time, he said, the villagers have not been able to harvest rain water because of the rusted condition of the roof of their houses. “In order to overcome this problem, the villagers are pinning their hopes on the Ministry to build tube wells, provide solar energy and supply water tank to every houses of the villagers in the six villages.
“The present tube well in the village that uses electricity cannot be sustained as the cost is too high and most of the villagers are poor and cannot afford the high cost of electricity,” he said.
Palatus believed that using solar energy would be a cheaper option for the villagers so that they can avoid to use water from the Punteh river that is contaminated.
At the same time, he said, solar energy, as an alternative power source, will help to reduce the burden of villagers while waiting for clean piped water supply from the government.
“I hope that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will consider the request of the villagers of the six villages to enjoy clean water from tube wells,” he said.
Wan Junaidi has asked the villagers in the six villages to use clean water provided by the government as it is more safer for their daily use.
“I have discussed this matter with Ellron, who is the people representative in this area, to ensure that the villagers in the six villages will have clean water that is safe to use,” he said.
At the same time, Wan Junaidi has given a stern warning to the mills that the ministry will not compromise on pollution and will take strong action against any parties that pollutes the river and the environment as it not only damage the habitat in the river but also affect human lives who use water for their daily life.