Nyambar (left) presents a box of bottled drinking water to a longhouse headman. With them are longhouse folk and Welfare Department staff.
SARIKEI: The Welfare Department has spent RM27,816 on bottled drinking water for 4,661 folk in drought-stricken areas in this division since last month.
This excludes the cost of distributing treated water by the Public Works Department (JKR), said Nyambar Ginda, acting assistant welfare director (Sarikei), yesterday.
Thus far, the department had distributed 2,540 boxes of bottled drinking water to 4,661 people from 974 families in Sarikei, Meradong and Pakan districts, he said at an event to distribute bottled drinking water to Meradong folk.
“Today (yesterday), we distribute 212 boxes of bottled drinking water to the people of Rumah Suku in Sungai Mupong, Rumah Tigong Juman and Rumah Petrus, both in Telok Batu, and Rumah Usin in Telok Bulat.
“All in all, 53 families received bottled drinking water today (yesterday).”
Meanwhile, people living in Nunggang area in Pakan received treated water yesterday.
The area had been drought-stricken since early last month.
Nyambar said 43,155 litres of treated water were transported by JKR tankers for distribution to 136 affected families from Rumah Bali, Rumah Brayun, Rumah Kilat, Rumah Tuntum, Rumah Saba and Rumah Gramong in the area.