TAKING BATH OUTDOOR: Boarders of a residential school have to make do with water from a water tank.
NO WATER HERE: Boarders of a residential school see no water inside the water tank.
BETONG: Hundreds of students and teachers at government secondary schools here are complaining of dry taps since the past week or so.
According to sources, the intermittent dry taps had in fact been experienced since 2010. The students had been exposed to unhygienic situation; having to relieve themselves in the bushes and wash in dirty streams and ponds.
During a recent visit, it was observed that drains and washrooms in the school hostels were left dirty after not being washed for months.
A school warden who did not want to be identified said the problem started on May 7 when the taps went totally dry. Before this, the supply was only cut off from 10pm to 10am daily.
He said it was not only the students but also teachers who had to feel the pinch, especially teachers living on the upper floors of flats.
A resident of Rumah Remabung (longhouse) nearby, who wished to be known only as Wesly Tasang, said the water shortage was normal here irrespective of the weather – dry spell or monsoon season.
He said he had complained to the divisional Public Works Department but was told that the present water treatment plant at Lubau could not meet the demand of the rising population.
With Gawai just around the corner the water shortage would be felt even more, especially by the celebrants.
“We have to harvest rainwater when it rains or collect whatever water there is from a stream on other days. I hope the authority will send us water during the Gawai celebration,” said another longhouse resident going by the name of Rupert Joseph.