Govt developing solutions for Kapit’s water woes
KAPIT: The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government will work to resolve the problems with water supply here.
Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said at present the water supply capacity here has increased to 23 million litres per day ( MLD).
“Currently, actual output is 16MLD to 17MLD. With that we need improvements with the water treatment plant – we believe we’ll be able to increase water supply. That is one issue here,” he said when chairing a project briefing yesterday.
“The issue is we have to build up the water in high level tanks. You know Kapit is very hilly and some housing estates are built on top of the hills so those need pumps and high level tanks so that the water could reach them.”
Dr Rundi stressed improving water supply is very critical.
“We need to immediately do some technical things to improve output like cleaning up the siltation, which has reduced the water by maybe 30 per cent. Once we do that clean-up, we should be able to increase the MLD. Nonetheless, we need to fill up all these high-level tanks and also the piping needs to be changed so as to be able to cope with the higher pressure,” he said.
“For long-term planning, in fact the Kapit Divisional Development Committee has proposed a reservoir for Kapit’s water supply in the future.”
He said the government is discussing people’s projects totalling RM75.1 million for Kapit Division this year and next year.
Dr Rundi added Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg will chair a project coordination meeting here on April 23.
Among those present yesterday were Assistant Minister of Water Supply Datuk Liwan Lagang, Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson JamitUnyat,Murumassemblyman Kennedy Chukpai Ugon, Sarawak Energy Berhad group CEO Datuk Sharbini Suhaili, Kapit Resident Joseph Belayong Punan, Song District Officer Jackline August, and Bukit Mabong District Officer Douglas Pungga.