MUKAH – Residents of Rumah Panjang Jarit in Matu have expressed their hope for the state government to find a solution in simplifying the process of water supply aid application whenever droughts hit the area.
According to tuai rumah (longhouse chief) Jarit Mering, currently, every household needs to fill in a water supply assistance application form. This form will then be sent to the Matu district office during the hot weather season which occurs between June and August every year.
However, he said there were times when residents had to wait up to three weeks for aid such as mineral water supply to arrive.
“If you don’t fill in the (aid) application form, you won’t get (water supply). If possible, the district office should not have to wait for us to apply first because sometimes the process is slow and drought occurs every year.
“It never rains from June to October. Throughout the dry season, there is no rainwater. It has to rain for two to three days before we can harvest enough water,” he said when met here recently.
A total of 263 residents here are facing water supply issues, and the scorching hot weather without rain further complicates the situation of those who depend on rainwater and rivers for daily use.
Jarit also explained that the aid received, which was one or two boxes of mineral water, could not cover the daily needs of the people there, especially those with several family members.
Resident Wendymina Lapok, 32, a housewife, said that they use river water for bathing and washing while rainwater and mineral water for eating and drinking.
She said residents need to take a boat ride, then another ride on a van to go to the nearest town, Pasar Dalat, with fares of RM6 and RM10 respectively for the round trip.
“Even the rainwater is not very good for drinking because my boys experienced stomach aches, so we buy mineral water at markets like Pasar Dalat and have to take a boat and a van to get there,” she said.
Located in the area of Telok Deloh, Batang Igan, the longhouse can only be accessed using a waterway and has 47 doors with the majority of residents consisting of fishermen and farmers.
Previously, the Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak’s Office (Integrity and Ombudsman) and Jemoreng assemblyman Datuk Juanda Jaya, were reported to have said that the construction of 13km of road under Projek Rakyat (people’s project) involving Jalan Kg Kebuaw, Telok Deloh and Bungan Kecil is expected to be completed in September 2024. – Bernama, September 7, 2022
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