Sarawak drought sees many go without water

Help is on the way: A resident helping a Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department officer transport drinking water for those affected by the drought in Tatau district.

MIRI: At least 25 longhouses in the interior Marudi district in northern Sarawak have been hit by prolonged drought.

Located along the Tutoh-Apoh area, the longhouses have been without clean water supply as it has not rained for several weeks.

Two schools – SK Gudang and SK Sungai Bruit – are also facing water shortage.

The Sarawak Welfare Depart­ment has sent 8,000 boxes of drinking water to the drought-hit areas, where about 5,000 people live.

According to the department, the bottled water was sent from Miri.

Three days ago, pupils and tea­chers of SK Nanga Muput, deep in the remote Tatau district, also ran out of water.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department had to send an emergency supply of bottled drinking water to the school, with 140 boxes delivered so far.

The Welfare Department in Tatau also helped out by sending drinking water to the school.

SK Nanga Muput, which has about 300 pupils, is located an hour away by road from Tatau town.

On April 7, another school in Tatau – SK Tayai – was also hit by water shortage due to the worsening drought.

The 200-plus pupils in the primary school have run out of drinking water as the taps and water sources have dried up.

About 300 boxes of bottled drinking water were sent to the school.

Last week, Spaoh district in southern Sarawak was also affected by the drought.

The Spaoh Fire and Rescue De­­part­ment sent treated water there following appeals from residents.