MIRI – Long Ekang, a remote riverine longhouse with about 500 residents and located deep in Baram district in northern Sarawak, is on the verge of collapsing into Sg Baram adjacent to the settlement.
Heavy rain has caused the river to swell in past days, and the swift currents have caused widespread erosion of the slopes of the banks, said village elder Peter Kallang.
"Big chunks of soil along the riverbanks have been washed away, and the longhouse compound near the eroded site is cracking up.
“If rain falls heavily again, the river will swell further and may wash away the entire longhouse,” he told The Vibes today.
Kallang said that he has alerted the authorities, informing them of the urgent situation.
He said the erosion needs to be controlled immediately before the foundation of the structure cracks further.
The longhouse is just a few metres from the eroded banks, and the soil is becoming very unstable already, he said.
Kallang said he has also alerted Marudi assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala.
“Gerawat said he will get the Public Works Department (PWD) to send engineers to Long Ekang soonest,” he said.
The villagers have in the meantime set up barriers along the eroded areas to try to prevent any more soil erosion.
“The residents have been told to be on alert for further erosion while the PWD people look into the situation,” Kallang said.
Long Ekang is populated mainly by the Kenyah ethnic community, and is about a five-hour drive from Miri city.
Water volumes have risen in many interior tributaries throughout Sarawak due to constant heavy rain, leading to the waterways seeing very swift currents.
The Meteorological Department has warned of expected heavy rain in parts of Sarawak until January 21 at least. – The Vibes, January 18, 2022
