SIBU, Aug 23: Sibu MP Oscar Ling called on the State Government to investigate the cause of the recent logjam incident in Rejang River to prevent future occurrence.
Ling in a statement today, said the logjam has disrupted the operation of the water treatment plants along the affected areas due to high pollutants in the water.
According to him, Sibu Water Board (SWB) has announced that all the water treatment plants in Sibu have ceased to operate at the moment, and it would affect the clean water supply to the whole of Sibu.
“The logjam which started at the Upper reaches of Batang Baleh in Belaga, has also affected the ecosystem in Rejang River.
“From the logjam incident in 2010, we have seen fishes died from suffocation due to high pollutants, which also reduced the oxygen level in the water.
“The mistake has repeated again today, and we deserve answers from the State Government,” he said.
Ling pointed out that the matter is a serious environmental issue and demanded the investigation report for the logjam incident in 2010 to be made public.
He stressed that valuable fishes in Rejang River might disappeared if this environmental issue not solved and being allowed to happened more often.
“I demand state government to release investigation report soonest, and measures that have been taken since last logjam incident in 2010, including the reason of why the incident has repeated again today,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ling also conveyed the ex-president of Sibu Rotary Club Dr Gregory Hii calls appealing to the timber concessionaires to exercise greater care so that the timber debris are not washed into the river causing river bank erosion leading to severe pollution.
“Of course river bank dwellers as well as urban inhabitants should also avoid disposing their domestic waste into the river to add further to the siltation and pollution problems.
“The river needs our tender care and therefore, I appeal to everyone to take care of our river and stop doing more damage to it,” he said. – DayakDaily.
