KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) hopes that the state government will take a moment to consider other options before going ahead with its plan to build the controversial Kaiduan-Papar dam.
Its deputy president, Edward Dagul, is urging the state government to explore all options to solve the state's water woes before pushing for construction of the dam.
“Go for other viable alternatives. For instance, address other contributory factors to the water shortage, such as maintenance and repairs of water pipes and pumps.
“This will reduce the NRW (non-revenue water) rate, which was previously reported to be higher than 50%.
“It does not make economic sense to procure and treat voluminous amounts of water if more than half of the water produced end up wasted through leakages and damaged pipelines,” he said.
Dagul also echoed a suggestion by Senator Datuk John Ambrose to dig water catchment areas as well as off river reservoirs as viable alternatives.
“Not only are these alternatives quicker to implement, they are also much cheaper and will minimise the social upheaval in the community otherwise affected by the proposed construction of the dam,” he said.
He said a one-year moratorium should provide ample time for the government, local community, non-governmental organisations and other affected stakeholders to study, discuss and decide on the best way to tackle the water issue.
On Tuesday, Sabah Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin had said the government is considering reverting the original dam location back to Penampang after the then Warisan government moved the project from Kaiduan to Papar.
The dam, then known as the Kaiduan dam, was supposed to address water shortage issues in Sabah’s west coast and was proposed during the Barisan Nasional era, but met fierce opposition from local environmental groups and Warisan.
As expected, Bung Moktar’s announcement was criticised by many, as Sabah-based anti-dam groups said the state minister has little concern for the environment and indigenous people’s land rights.
Warisan treasurer-general Terrence Siambun had said that Warisan, for its part, will not allow large tracts of Penampang land to be taken away. –The Vibes, January 10, 2021
