THIS CALLS FOR SKILLED MANOEUVRE: A heavily laden speedboat negotiates the treacherous Pelagus Rapis on its way to Belaga.
KUCHING: Dangerous jutting rocks to be blasted for safer, faster travels.
The state cabinet has approved an allocation to clear protruding rocks along the dreaded 2km Pelagus Rapids to allow for safer boat trips between Kapit and Belaga towns, says Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing.
He said once the rapids between the two major towns in the Kapit Division were cleared, it would not only provide safer travel but would also provide better accessibility.
Currently when the Rejang River ebbs, people living along the river would have to go via Bintulu overland from Sibu to reach Belaga, incurring extra cost.
“Yes, the state cabinet has approved an allocation to clear the rocks along the rapids so that it would be safer to travel by boat especially during the dry spell,” Masing told The Borneo Post at the Chief Minister’s Hari Raya open house in the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching on Tuesday.
Masing, who is also Baleh assemblyman, had said the people living along the two towns had been experiencing hardship when manoeuvring the rapids to reach their destinations.
He also disclosed that Sarawak Rivers’ Board (SRB) had been tasked to clear away the dangerous rocks along the rapids.
When contacted, SRB chairman Roland Sagah Wee Inn confirmed that they had been tasked to carry out the job.
“We are only waiting for the money to be released so that we can let the contractor carry out the job,” said Sagah, who is also Tarat assemblyman.
Meanwhile, Kapit Resident Dahim Nadot said if the rapids were to be cleared then it would make the river transportation between Belaga and Kapit more navigable and safer.
On the latest development, Dahim disclosed that heavy rain in Kapit over the last few days had increased the water level, thus allowing better river navigation.
He had said last week that if the dry spell continued, it would have created havoc among the people as many have already faced water shortage. Some 30,000 people in the division depended on the river for transportation.
The situation was critical last week especially for the 45 schools located between Kapit town and Belaga town.