Saratok facing water crisis

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, July 23, 2014: Two schools - SMK Saratok and SMK Agama - have been ordered to temporarily stop conducting their classes as Saratok is facing a serious water crisis, after a month-long drought.

Ali (picture): The water crisis in Saratok could have been avoided if there is no delay in completing the new water treatment plant.

The schools are told to remain closed until further notice and their students have been told to go home.

Another school - SMK Bahasa Malaysia - is only conducting classes for Form 5 students who will be sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia later in the year.

The rest of the students have been told to go home until the school gets its water supply back.

Krian State Assemblyman Ali Biju  said today:"I was also made to understand that another secondary school in Roban was also forced to temporarily close because of no water."

He said there could be some primary schools which have asked their pupils to home until there is water supply to the schools.

Ali said:"Between 40,000 and 50,000 people in Saratok town are also badly affected by the drought which begins during the Gawai Dayak celebration."

"I pity those who will be celebrating Hari Raya next week and if there is no water, their preparation will be greatly affected," he said.

He said the Saratok people are expected to face severe water crisis as the drought has been forecast to end until September.

He said the lack of water from the taps have caused the prices of bottled water to shoot up.

"I was made to understand that a box of small bottles of mineral water costs RM28.90, from over RM10 before," he said.

He said many people from Saratok town are forced to buy their bottled water from Jakar or Sarikei.

Ali blamed the water crisis in Saratok to the delay in the completion of a RM100 million water treatment plant at Kaki Wong.

He said Saratok town is now only relying on the Lichok water treatment plant which is insufficient to meet the growing demands for clean water.

Ali said the new water treatment plant should be able to meet the demands because it has a bigger capacity.

"Moreover, the new plant will get its raw water from the mighty Batang Krian," he added.

He said the new plant was supposed to be completed in June last year. The construction work on the new plant started after the 2011 state election.

"I understand that the contractor was given four extensions, without penalties, to complete the construction.

"I do not know when it will be completed although Minister of Public Utilities Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, in the last sitting of the State Assembly, had assured that the new water treatment plant would be completed in the near future.

"I am not sure whether it can be completed by the end of the year, and I hope it can," he said.