Villagers want rivers straightened, deepened
KENINGAU: Nearly 2,000 people from three villages living along the river banks in Liawan are relieved when their problems have received the attention of the government.
According to the residents of Kampung Kadalakan, Masak and Kauran, whenever it rains heavily, the river would overflow and cause flash floods that destroyed crops and caused hardship to them.
Kampung Kadalakan JKKK chairman Atin Manjinal and Kampung Masak village head Eson Aris said the rivers in both villages should be straightened and deepened, as the river would overflow when it rained, affecting their paddy fields, oil palm plantations, and others.
A resident of Kampung Kauran, Sudirman Majid is grateful to the government for deepening the river in the village which had previously caused frequent flash floods and destroying several houses along the river bank.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Datuk Haji Sairin Karno who visited the three villages on Tuesday said it was estimated that a total of RM200 million was needed to straighten and deepen the river in the three villages.
He said the river at Kampung Masak was one kilometre long, Kampung Kadalakan (1.5 kilometres), and from Kampung Mempikit to the Pegalan River (two kilometres).
Sairin, who is also the Liawan assemblyman said two rivers in Liawan were deepened and straightened by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage involving a cost of RM30 million.
During the visit, Sairin also inspected a house construction project under the House Assistance Program (PBR) as well as a paddy field and a football field at Kampung Kadalakan.