Water supply for 58,080 households in 12 districts
KOTAKINABALU:ChiefMinister
Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor has directed water supply to be distributed to 58,080 household heads (KIR) for 355 villages in 12 districts throughout the state affected by the prolonged drought.
For this purpose, the State Government has dispensed RM7.5 million and working in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), he said.
“The State Water Department and Disaster Operation Command Centre (PKOB) in the affected districts are currently distributing water to the people,” he said.
The districts badly affected by water shortage were Tongod, Tuaran, Papar, Keningau, Semporna, Kota Belud, Tenom, Pitas, Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Kudat and Tawau.
“Water treatment plants at catchment areas are at the brink of drying up due to drought since the middle of February 2024 and this may affect more areas if the drought situation persists,” he said at the presentation of assistance to the Fire and Rescue Department at Menara Kinabalu on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET Malaysia) had recommended cloud seeding operations over areas affected by the hot and dry weather from March 28 to 30.
“The operations will be based on the forecast of suitable cloud atmosphere with rain potential if cloud seeding is done,” he said, adding that the cost would be fully borne by NADMA while MET Malaysia has agreed to provide personnel and technical assistance.
He said Labuan-based Malaysia Royal Air Force will provide logistics support in collaboration with the Internal Affairs and Research Office of the Chief Minister’s Department.
“We hope the cloud seeding operations will proceed smoothly and yield rain in the affected areas in Sabah,” he said.
Hajiji said the State Government has allocated RM267,444 to the Fire and Rescue Department for purchasing additional equipment to put out forest and bush fires in affected areas in the state.
The equipment included 27 portable pumps, 75 motorised sling pumps and 906 units of fire beaters.
As of March 26, a total of 1,392 cases of forest and bush fires have been reported to have ravaged 9,392.23 acres throughout the state. Of this, about 8.55 acres at the Kayu Madang landfill have still not been completely contained.
“To date, the Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department has mobilised 319 firefighters throughout Sabah. The State Government has pledged assistance to the department to contain the fires,” he said.
Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director Abdul Razak Muda, who received the assistance from the Chief Minister, said one of their biggest challenges in pu ing out fires, especially during this drought season, is accessing to the locations, especially those in jungles.
“Sometimes, our fire trucks and engines are not able to reach the site so we have to go by foot, carrying heavy equipment and walk several kilometres to reach the fire,” he said.
These equipment such as portable pumps, motorised sling pumps and fire beaters as well as high performance pump modules are vital in extinguishing fires, he added.
Abdul Razak said so far, they have enough manpower as the Civil Defence Department, volunteer firemen and other supporting agencies are providing assistance.
“We have manpower on duty round the clock, and have frozen all leaves for the time being,” he said, adding the department had not sought help from their community firemen who are civilians.
The director also said water sources were still manageable and available.
He said areas that were still on fire include the Kayu Madang dump site in Tuaran and peat fires in Beaufort district.
“City Hall is helping to put out the tyre flames in Kayu Madang, and we expect to bring the fire under control and put it out by the end of this week,” he said.
For the peat fires in Beaufort district, he said the Fire Department is thinking of using High-Density Polyethylene Pipe (HDPE) and check dams to manage the spread of the fire.
During this dry spell, Abdul Razak said structural fires were also reported due to open fires.
“Open fires can happen anytime with the tiniest spark. That is why we are working with the Meteorological Department in our fire extinguishing efforts (for wind conditions, daily temperature and rain forecast etc),” he said.