By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Sept 3: Sarawak has activated an operations room to coordinate the multi-agency response to water supply complaints during the current hot and dry spell, with a 12-hour key performance indicator (KPI) set for water to be delivered after a complaint is received.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the Sarawak government had directed all relevant agencies to work together to ensure communities affected by water shortages received assistance as quickly as possible.
“As far as the State government is concerned, the Premier has directed all agencies to work together and play their respective roles to ensure that the problems faced by our people can be reduced, especially those involving water supply,” he said in a pre-recorded press conference.
Speaking to reporters after witnessing preparations for the cloud-seeding operation at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base in Kuching today, Uggah said the State had established a KPI requiring water to be delivered within 12 hours after a complaint was received, whether through the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) or the Welfare Department.
“We have also established an operations room where we monitor the situation across Sarawak, including how agencies respond to complaints from the people and how they resolve problems involving water delivery,” he said.
Uggah, who is also Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman, said the measure was necessary as they have received complaints from some residents who had waited three to four days after requesting water supplies but had yet to receive them.
He said there were also requests from communities for piped water supply, adding that the State government recognised the challenges faced by agencies in responding to the situation.
“But the most critical thing is that we must deliver what is required because water is a basic necessity for the community,” he said.
Uggah said he had personally visited several affected areas the previous day and had seen communities experiencing water-related problems.
The Sarawak government’s response forms part of wider measures to deal with the current dry spell and haze, including cloud-seeding operations targeting three hydropower dams and 13 water catchment areas across five divisions. — DayakDaily
