SERIAN district is in dire need of power and clean water supplies, Kedup assemblyman Frederick Bayoi Manggie said when debating the 2011 State Budget. He attributed this to its rapidly increasing population which at present is about 130,000.
“Many villages in the district aside from Kedup still have not been provided with clean and treated water supply from Public Works Department (JKR),” he said.
“Many villages in the district aside from Kedup still have not been provided with clean and treated water supply from Public Works Department (JKR),” he said.
He pointed out that in Serian town itself, consumers often complained of dry taps and very low water pressure as the present water treatment plant at Slabi with a capacity of 12.4 million litres per day was incapable of meeting the people’s requirement.
Although he was aware of the government’s concern over the inadequacy of water supply in Serian he appealed to the government to speed up the construction of a proposed 50 million litre-per-day water treatment plant under the Serian Regional Water Scheme.
This was because many people in the rural areas still rely on rivers and streams to obtain clean water, he said.
“However when these rivers and streams are polluted and unfit for human use, they start to use water drawn from catchment areas by gravity feed system.
“That is why in the past we often heard the Medical and Health Department through its Rural Medical and Health Services section assisting kampungs and villages in remote areas construct gravity feed water supply system.
“It worked well and had served the people satisfactory until changes came which required them to change.” Bayoi said, stressing that as time went by gravity feed had become impractical as a method to supply water.
He attributed this to two factors — increasing population and the unpredictable weather.
“The population has increased tremendously by three or even four folds … a village now has 150 to 200 families or doors.
“Last year we had a long dry season resulting in the drying up of many rivers, streams and even water catchment areas. The weather is unpredictable. Next year there might be a long dry weather.
“If that happens our people will continue to suffer from shortage of clean water,” Bayoi, who is also Samarahan Walikota, said.
He also pointed out that about 30 villages in his constituency were yet to be provided with essential facilities and amenities.
This was because many people in the rural areas still rely on rivers and streams to obtain clean water, he said.
“However when these rivers and streams are polluted and unfit for human use, they start to use water drawn from catchment areas by gravity feed system.
“That is why in the past we often heard the Medical and Health Department through its Rural Medical and Health Services section assisting kampungs and villages in remote areas construct gravity feed water supply system.
“It worked well and had served the people satisfactory until changes came which required them to change.” Bayoi said, stressing that as time went by gravity feed had become impractical as a method to supply water.
He attributed this to two factors — increasing population and the unpredictable weather.
“The population has increased tremendously by three or even four folds … a village now has 150 to 200 families or doors.
“Last year we had a long dry season resulting in the drying up of many rivers, streams and even water catchment areas. The weather is unpredictable. Next year there might be a long dry weather.
“If that happens our people will continue to suffer from shortage of clean water,” Bayoi, who is also Samarahan Walikota, said.
He also pointed out that about 30 villages in his constituency were yet to be provided with essential facilities and amenities.
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