DALAT: Some of the residents residing along Oya River were suggesting that a mass river cleaning activity should be done to clear the floating debris along the river. This was following the floating bulk of the water lilies locally known as `parok’ along this Mukah Division’s longest river since early this year. And this practical and timely suggestion came from the residents of Kampung Tanam, one of the over fifteen villages located along the river.
According to a member of its Village Development and Security Committee(JKKK) who preferred anonymity, the presence of these water plants had one way or another caused a danger to the water transport plying along Batang Oya.
“As far as I am concerned, I have never seen that kind of phenomena before, and if I was not mistaken this ‘parok’ appeared since early this year. This unprecedented incident had one way or another caused a nuisance to those travelling along the river,” he said.
He pointed that they were in the dark why that rare phenomena happened this time around and he believed that the clearing or removing of the floating lilies could be a practical short term solution. “If possible the cleaning or clearing of this water plant should involve the residents from every village that is located along the Oya River.
And of course it would be better if it were to be held simultaneously in the name of `gotong-royong perdana’ (prime mutual assist event) that targets ‘parok’ and other related debris believed to endanger the river users,” he said. If that suggestion were to materialise it would definitely be a historical moment of sorts for the area as thus far no such move of mass clearing and cleaning of the river had been undertaken along Batang Oya for decades, already.
Meanwhile, a retired government servant, Bayan, however, believed that once these water lilies were to float down river entering the sea they would experience a natural death because they are fresh water plants and not salty water plants.
“I think they would not float back to the upper river during the high tide because when they reach the salty water near the sea in Oya Sub- District they would die. And if they were to flow back and forth for instance floating heading upriver during high tide and back during low tide, they would definitely be a menace to the river transportation,” he disclosed.
Based on the various assumptions, it would be advisable for a total study of the existence of the parok in such a bulky manner to be conducted by the relevant authority especially from where these water lilies come from including their benefits to the water or marine resources, and the most appropriate solution to follow subsequently.
