Villagers want piped water after croc caught
MIRI: The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) Swift Wildlife Action Team ( SWAT) yesterday captured a 15-foot-long crocodile whose presence at Kampung Lajong in Niah had been worrying its villagers.
The SWAT team was despatched on Friday after news of the crocodile’s sighting at the village was published last week.
Kampung Lajong villager Masrie Junaidi, 38, who aired his concern over the crocodile to The Borneo Post, had said he feared the reptile would attack villagers as it was seen surfacing close to his jetty.
When contacted following the croc’s capture, Masrie said although he was relieved, he remained hopeful that the relevant authority would speed up the supply of clean piped water to the village.
“There are a lot of crocodiles in Niah River. We depend on water from the river for our daily needs and we feel threatened whenever we go down to the jetty to pump water to our tanks,” he said.
He stressed that the only way to avoid any untoward incident, such as a croc attack, was for piped water to be supplied to the villager.
“We have been waiting for years and we are really hopeful that the government would listen to our plight,” he added.
It is believed that the reptile captured by the SWAT team yesterday was the one sighted by Masrie earlier last week.
Several villagers also came to assist the team to drag the reptile from the river.
Another villager, Keria Adenan, 43, who is also Kampung Lajong Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) deputy chairman, claimed over 10
There are a lot of crocodiles in Niah River. We depend on water from the river for our daily needs and we feel threatened whenever we go down to the jetty to pump water to our tanks. Masrie Junaidi, Kampung Lajong villager
crocodiles have been sighted in the river.
He said the crocodiles posed a threat to the villagers, who depend on the river for their daily water supply, especially when the reptiles surface too close to the riverbank.