By Karen Bong
KUCHING, June 10: The Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication is urging everyone to conserve water that will also save energy in order to help protect Sarawak’s resources.
Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi emphasised that conserving precious water means conserving energy and it plays a vital role in preserving the environment and mitigating climate change, which otherwise could have an adverse impact on people’s lives.
“Water consumption in urban and rural areas in Sarawak varies. But on average, monthly consumption per household is about 35,000 litres. So we hope it will not exceed that volume or we may consider imposing surcharges to curb water wastage.
“As such, we need to encourage people to save water and raise awareness among our community on the importance of using water efficiently,” he told the Ministry’s Raya-Gawai celebration held at a hotel here today.
Even though Sarawak has abundant water and energy resources, Julaihi said Sarawakians must take action to be prepared and build resilience to existing and future climate change.
“Water pollution is an issue threatening the environment and as such one of the measures that needs to be taken by the Ministry and all relevant agencies is to enhance biological monitoring of our water resources.
“This is so that if anything happens, we can detect and take measures urgently in order to ensure a clean and safe water supply for our people,” he pointed out.
Julaihi also expressed appreciation for the contributions of all employees who have performed their duties diligently in ensuring improvement to utility management and taking care of public interests.
Deputy Minister of Utility Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi and permanent secretary Dato Ir Alice Jawan Empaling were among those present. — DayakDaily
