KUCHING: The authorities have been urged to adopt an emergency plan to build a new water pipe connecting to the Sibu Jaya area to provide an immediate stable water supply for its residents.
Dudong assemblyman Datuk Seri Tiong King said the water shortage in Sibu Jaya has remained unresolved for many days, thus causing inconveniences to many households.
“In view of this, I request the authorities to immediately adopt the ‘emergency plan’ to resolve the issue,” he said in a Facebook post.
He also called for the Sibu Water Board to quickly dispatch water trucks to the affected areas to alleviate the residents’ urgent need for water before the completion of the new water pipe project.
“After close communication with the water supply board, it is learned that the damage was due to the overly close distance between the water pipe and the fuel tank of the petrol station nearby.
“If repairs are carried out rashly without careful study, the fuel tank may accidentally combust and explode,” he said.
Tiong added that using the construction of a petrol station as an excuse for this debacle is unacceptable.
“Why was the construction of a petrol station next to the water pipe approved in the first place? Is there something wrong somewhere with our administration? Why is there no strict supervision when approving projects?” he asked.
He added the water supply problem in Sibu Jaya has been a long standing issue, and many residential areas have been facing problems such as no water supply and low water pressure for many years.
“I also hope that this water outage accident will not happen again. All government officials must wake up now and assist the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government and Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in fulfilling promises to the people in line with the slogan of ‘Rakyat Diutamakan’,” he said.
On the other hand, he said the Sibu Water Board must also improve its service efficiency and work hard to provide daily water supply.
Earlier on Mar 15, in response to the water supply interruption, Sibu Water Board said they have made preparations for repairing a burst pipe near the Petronas Station on Tunku Abdul Rahman Road, Sibu.
“This repair work involves a main mild steel pipe with a diameter of 450mm that has leaked due to soil settling,” it said.
