KUCHING: The Sarawak Disaster Relief Committee is gearing up to tackle the worsening water supply in affected areas due to the current dry spell.
With the continuous dry spell which may last until September, the affected areas that rely on water harvesting are urged to inform their district officers or state’s social welfare department to ensure measures are taken in addressing the critical water woes faced, said Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Public Works Department and Rural Water Supply Department have been directed to help channel clean water to the affected areas, she said.
“Up till now, the state government has spent RM794,902 on drinking water and water supply for 4,989 families affected by heat wave in 143 areas statewide.
“The worst affected areas are in Mukah with 48 areas, followed by Limbang (29), Betong (14) and Serian (11),” Fatimah said in a press conference at the Social Welfare Department office here today.
She also said the directive had been distributed to all relevant government agencies and departments involved in disaster mitigation and management from state level to district level including the Fire and Rescue Departments, Civil Defence Force (APM) and District Education Offices (PPD).
Fatimah also reiterated her calls on district officers, heads of community and school principals to provide information to the authority concerned on their water supply.
“I urge heads of community, village chieftains and school principals to provide accurate information on the statistics of households, families and family members.
“We need the correct number of individuals in each family because the state is providing two dozen bottled water for each person for a week supply.
“We cannot depend on the number of families since there are families which have more than five members and some may comprise less than five,” she said.
Fatimah also urged for speedy distribution of water aids, namely within six hours upon receiving information.
“The directive on the activation of the drought-crisis operation centre in divisions in the state is with immediate effect, namely within six hours, not more than that,” she added.
The order to activate the operation centres is to enable all the divisional disaster relief operations room to liaise with the central operation centre in the state capital Kuching to prepare for water shortages.
The Sarawak Disaster Relief Committee which handles all forms of natural disasters including floods and drought is coordinating relief efforts between the central and divisional operation centres to monitor and assist areas hit by water shortages.
In many parts of Sarawak during noon today, the temperatures had risen to 35 degree Celsius.
