MIRI – Three districts in central Sarawak are seeing water supply disruptions caused by a damaged water pipeline along the Pan Borneo Highway.
The affected districts are Sarikei, Bintangor, and Tg Manis, which collectively have a population of around 50,000.
State Public Utilities and Communications Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi attributed the incident to work on the highway.
“This is yet another pipeline burst caused by those working on upgrades to the Pan Borneo Highway,” he said in a statement issued by the state Public Communications Unit.
A section of the main water pipeline along the highway near the Bayong water treatment plant was damaged on Tuesday.
“The burst pipe has not been fully repaired, and so many people are affected in Sarikei, Bintangor, and Tg Manis.
“This incident is causing great hardship to the local population living along the route.
“It is also causing losses of revenue,” said Julaihi.
He called on the water supply authorities to make sure all affected residents are given enough treated water via tankers.
He also ordered a full probe into how the workers had damaged the water pipeline, noting that similar incidents have been happening “quite a few times already”.
Last year, Miri suffered a similar problem when a water pipeline burst along the Pan Borneo Highway in the Lambir subdistrict.
Some 350,000 people had no water supply for about a week following a major burst caused by contractor workers digging along the highway. – The Vibes, June 16, 2023
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