Sungai Asap taps churn out ‘crude oil’
KUCHING: The Sungai Asap Resettlement Scheme’s water woes have significantly worsened as the water coming out of the taps is now black and likened to ‘crude petroleum’.
Assistant Minister for River Transportation and Safety Liwan Lagang, who is Belaga assemblyman, expressed disbelief when informed of the undrinkable tap water yesterday.
“This is really unacceptable. No Sarawakians should be receiving that kind of treatment. JBALB (Rural Water Supply Department) or whoever is responsible will have to answer for this,” he said when contacted by thesundaypost.
Seven community leaders – Pemanca Tony Kulleh, Pemanca Umek Jeno, Penghulu Saging Bit, Penghulu Katan Lawai, Penghulu Ibau Ajan, councillor Eda Ibon and councillor Tirah Lawai – issued a statement yesterday saying they have lost all faith in the conventional water treatment system.
They suggested the area’s 10,000 residents be provided with an alternative water supply system sourced from mountain streams.
“We support the statement made by our (Murum assemblyman) YB Kennedy Chukpai Ugon that an alternative water source be used as additional and supporting source to the present conventional one at Sungai Asap,” said the press statement.
“JBALB must immediately change the design of the water intake and build one soonest possible while at the same time, the present intake must be immediately and regularly cleaned from all siltation of debris, mud and sand to ensure that water can always be pumped.”
The statement added that the authorities must equip the existing pump house with additional pumps.
It also questioned JBALB’s logic of using the ‘one in 50 years drought’ theory as a benchmark.
“Although we are from rural areas, we do have children who graduated from universities. They explained to us that ‘one in 50 years theory’ means as long as there is one chance that the quantity from water does not meet the demand due to one drought within the whole period of 50 years, then the project is not viable.
“They deny our whole community from having water today because of some mathematical calculations and some predictions for 50 years. To us, this is absurd,” said the statement.
The community leaders also chided JBALB for trying to follow ‘by the book’ standard operating procedure while the people of Sungai Asap have to deal with either dirty water or no water at all.
“We have lost faith in the conventional water systems provided by JBALB because we have been through hell with the system for the past 18 years. They ‘solved’ the problem just two days ago. Today (yesterday), the water coming out was black in colour,” added the statement.
This is really unacceptable. No Sarawakians should be receiving that kind of treatment. JBALB (Rural Water Supply Department) or whoever is responsible will have to answer for this. — Liwan Lagang, Assistant Minister for River Transportation and Safety