ABOUT 150,000 individuals have started to feel the brunt of a new drought in Papar, a south-western district in Sabah situated roughly just 40 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu.
According to district officer Mohd Fuad Abdullah, the affected populace is scattered across 42 villages and seven housing areas within the district.
The district authorities have officially declared Papar to be in a state of emergency.
Among those affected are seven schools and three places of worship.
"Operations aimed at delivering clean water supply have been implemented in four designated areas as per predefined schedules, specifically at SK Pantai Manis, Kampung Timbangan, Palm Condominium, and Gereja Kg Limbahau," said Mohd Fuad in a statement.
He said that substantial quantities of water are being transported to the Limbahau, Pantai Manis, and Kawang state constituencies utilising tanker lorries and vehicles under the purview of the Sabah Water Department, Papar District Council, state Public Works Department, as well as the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department.
Mohd Fuad also said that a new bush fire, covering an expanse of 0.8 hectares was reported near SK Agama Sekayan in the Pengalat Besar area at noon yesterday.
"The impact of the drought extends to the agricultural domain, particularly affecting 93 farmers in the Limbahau and Biau Padawan areas," he said.
Some 54.68 hectares of land in Limbahau and about 30.22 hectares in Biau Padawan have been adversely affected.
In efforts to raise awareness regarding fire prevention, Mohd Fuad disclosed that the Sabah Information Department has initiated its 'Info On Wheels' campaign across three villages.
"The state government remains vigilant in monitoring the situation. Consequently, a 24-hour district disaster control operations centre has been activated at the Papar District Office," said Mohd Fuad. – The Vibes, March 16, 2024
