Putatan needs water treatment and sewerage systems – Yahya

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Yahya (third right) and UMS vice chancellor Professor Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Kamaruzaman Ampon (second left) releasing the shrimps into the Petagas River yesterday.

PUTATAN:  Despite the vast development here, the district is still lack of two important systems – water treatment and sewerage.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin, in disclosing this yesterday, said that most of the discharges are released into the rivers untreated.

“Housing and building projects are mushrooming in the district, as well as government departments, and yet we do not have any proper sewerage and water treatment system.

“Lacking in these two systems has forced the discharges to be released into the rivers untreated, raising claims that the Petagas River is polluted,” he said when speaking at the launch of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah Borneo Marine Research Institute’s first phase of the Lobster Ranching Project at the Muhibbah Hall in Petagas here yesterday.

He also noted that excessive fishing activities are also among the contributing factors to the depletion of marine life.

“People are too greedy and it is affecting our marine life … they do not have enough time to mature. Some people practise fish bombing or use other types of poisons which kill the fish and their fries. This greediness must stop,” warned the Agriculture and Food Industry Minister.

Taking Japan as an example, he said the country emphasised on the importance of conserving the sea and marine life.

“That is why they are able to produce supplies of tuna fish, and earn millions from it,” he said.

Yahya also added that the move to set up the tagal committee would also help to monitor the fishing activities in the district.

“This innovative strategy could be the solution to change our way in managing our resources for the good of all,” he said, complimenting UMS for its initiative to promote the importance of conserving and protecting the environment.

On another development, Yahya also hoped that more programmes would be organised by UMS here.

“Although Putatan is close to the State capital, not many UMS projects are being done here. The university was built in Sepanggar and Sandakan is made the education hub, while many other projects are concentrated on the rural areas and the interior of Sabah.

“It is my hope that this project will be the beginning of many more to come,” he said.