Villagers in Tuaran urge activation of district disaster centre amid drying up rivers

Gravitty water feed source drying up at Kampung Wangkod in Tuaran district about 40kms from Kota Kinabalu.

KOTA KINABALU: Drying up gravity waters amid a dry spell prompts villagers in the Tuaran district, about 40 km from here, to call for emergency measures to assist them.

About 10 kampungs here are facing critical water supply problems due to the hot weather that has lasted for the past month.

A resident of Kampung Bulieng, Linus Lukun, 51, said the prolonged drought caused the area's gravity water supply source to decline and dry up.

"This poses difficulties for the villagers in doing daily routines such as cooking, bathing and using the toilet.

"Some have to buy bottled water to meet their needs. As a villager who does not have a fixed income, this is very costly. We can't afford it," he said.

"I request the Tuaran District Office to activate the district Disaster Relief Operations Centre immediately.

"This can ensure that water could be distributed every day to all those affected," he told the media Sunday (March 10).

A resident of Kg Wangkod, Frank Frederick, 56, also voiced similar concerns, especially regarding schools reopening on Monday (March 11).

"The water supply problem will make it very difficult for us with school-going children," he added.

Earlier this month, some 200 villagers in the Kiulu sub-district of Tuaran also voiced concerns about drying up gravity water feeds and appealed for help from the government.

On March 7, Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said the state government had agreed to carry out cloud seeding to address the declining water supply due to the dry spell that is expected to last till the middle of the year.

Shahelmey, who is state Works Minister, said the state cabinet meeting agreed to conduct cloud seeding at upstream areas to increase water for the river, helping boost water supply at water treatment plants and for people using gravity water feeds.

However, he said that most of the state dams could sustain a water supply for three months, with the exception of the Pulau Sebatik dam in Tawau, which has dried up.