By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Feb 9: The hard work put in by the Kapit Public Works Department (PWD) to complete the road diversion at the site of the massive landslide at KM16 Melukun-Ng Mujung Road, Kapit last week was to ensure public convenience, said Kapit PWD Divisional Engineer Ir Bujang Kanang.
He revealed that today, the road concessionaire was doing site preparation for the road formation and stoning works was still ongoing.
“Today we are doing the stoning at the road diversion at KM16 Melukun-Ng Mujung Road, Kapit. Tar sealing works will be carried by end of February,” Bujang told DayakDaily when contacted today.
He said the Kapit PWD team managed to complete the road diversion on the same day the landslide occurred as they knew the road is the only means of connectivity between Kapit and the Baleh HEP Dam which is under construction.
“Of course if you ask me what drove us to complete our task on the same day, then our response is very simple, as we just want to ensure that we can provide accessibility to the people who have been affected badly by the landslide,” Bujang said.
On January 2, a massive landslide measuring about 50 metres wide with a depth of about 10 metres swept away a section of the Melukun-Ng Mujung Road, cutting off critical road access for local residents. The affected site is actually a filled-up area as it used to be a valley.
Continuous rain has been identified as the main cause of the landslide.
Implementing a long-term solution to repair the road would take sometime as it has to follow the process of design and build by the contractor.
Baleh assemblyman Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing has given his assurance the road would be restore in due time.
He added that it was lucky that the landslide had occurred during the time when Movement Control Order (MCO) was in effect in Kapit division due to the spike of Covid-19 cases across the state. — DayakDaily
