Villagers have had enough of ‘teh tarik’ water problem

Kampung Bertam Baru resident Rohaya Jaafar

GUA MUSANG: Villagers living in Nenggiri want their new state assembly rep to stop logging and land clearing activities in nearby forests which has turned their water supply into the colour of “teh tarik” when it rains.

Kampung Jerek is among 10 other villages that depend on a small dam in Sungai Tasin.

Village elder Wan Zahari Wan Haron said that a small dam in Sungai Tasin collects water for the communities’ daily supply.

“In the Jerek area alone, there are over 2,000 residents, a primary school, a secondary school, a tahfiz centre and a health clinic.

“When it rains, the water is cloudy and murky which can go on for three days. This problem has been going for years,” Wan Zahari told Bernama.

In the past, Kampung Jerek villagers had managed to stop the logging when they mounted protests against the contractor who would use a nearby road to enter the forest, he said.

However, the loggers have resumed their activities again three months ago by using another road to the forest that bypassed the village.

“I really hope the logging stops. Pity the villagers whose only source of drinking water is Sungai Tasin,” he said.

The same problem was also voiced by Kg Pulau Setelu resident Shahrul Izham Ahmat, who said his community also depended on similar small dams for their daily water supply.

He said logging and land clearings have also turned Sungai Nenggiri, another major source of daily water, into a muddy torrent.

“If it rains heavily, pieces of wood will drift down and cause the water piping to be blocked. So the villagers have to work together or hire people to fix it,” said Shahrul Izham, adding that the problem affects about 300 villagers.

Bernama’s survey of Pulau Setelu bridge over Sungai Nenggiri found that debris from logging had piled up against the bridge’s pillars.

Kampung Bertam Baru resident Rohaya Jaafar, 38, said the pollution of Sungai Nenggiri has worsened since the big flood known as the Yellow Flood hit Kelantan in 2014.

“Before the flood, the water in Sungai Nenggiri was clear, especially during the dry season, but now, even during the dry season, the river water is dirty,” she said.

The mother of four said the damage to river has also affected the livelihoods of fresh water fishermen and the social life of the local community.

“When I was little, we used to be able to bathe in Sungai Nenggiri, sometimes we fished by the riverside. But now all those activities are gone,” she said.

Nenggiri residents go to the polls on Saturday to choose a new state representative from either Barisan Nasional or Perikatan Nasional.