SRB’s river programmes involve over 9,000 villagers, 11 schools across Sarawak

MIRI: Sarawak Rivers Boards (SRB) had carried out a total of 35 programmes and 135 activities related to river cleanliness and safety, this year to date.

According to SRB chairman Dr Murni Suhaili, the programmes conducted throughout January to October this year involved 9,425 residents from 146 villages and longhouses, as well as 11 schools across Sarawak.

“Our programmes have received encouraging response from the public. We have also recorded an increase in applications for ‘ gotong-royong’ (work party) to clean up rivers in their areas,” he spoke during the ‘Miri River Cleanliness Campaign’ at Kampung Pengkalan Lutong here yesterday.

However, Murni said not all requests could be fulfilled due to SRB having limited funding, but the agency would strive to do their best for the local community.

“We realise that public awareness of river cleanliness and rehabilitation is high, especially among those who relies on river transportation.

“In view of this, the local community is always ready to work together with SRB to ensure that the water quality in our rivers is always clean and pollution-free.”

On the river cleanliness programme, Murni said it was among the many initiatives under SRB’s ‘Cleanliness and Rehabilitation Programme’.

“These (initiatives) are aimed at creating awareness among the local community, especially those living by the rivers, of the roles and the responsibilities that they need to shoulder to help ensure river safety and cleanliness.” Murni also stressed that such responsibility should not be put on the shoulder of SRB alone – rather, it should be shouldered by the whole community.