By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 29: Several areas within Ba’ Kelalan constituency, particularly Central Trusan, Coastal Trusan, and Jalan Lawas Damit, are currently grappling with a critical water shortage as the region continues to endure an extended period of hot weather and drought.
Ba’ Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian, who visited the affected areas and held a dialogue session with local community leaders on Monday (July 28), expressed deep concern over the water supply situation.
“I have been informed that the gravity-fed water systems in these areas have dried up and that the supply from the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) is insufficient.
“It is clear that many villages are now in urgent need of water,” he said in a statement.
Among the hardest-hit villages are Kampung Beriwen Kito, Kampung Tunas Baru, Kampung Tang Lepadan, Kampung Batu Tari, Kampung Tang Sango, Kampung Bukit Batu, Kampung Long Bidang, and Kampung Long Tengoa.
Given the severity of the current situation, Baru called on relevant authorities to take prompt and appropriate action.
“It is vital that we provide the necessary resources to the affected communities for their daily needs, such as drinking, cooking, and washing. The need to supply bottled mineral water should also be considered,” he said in urging for immediate intervention to this crisis.
Baru pointed out that the water crisis is not a new issue in Lawas, as it tends to recur during every dry season.
He also called on the government and agencies involved to adopt a proactive approach in assessing and addressing water-related challenges in rural Sarawak, especially as the dry conditions are forecast to persist. — DayakDaily
