The micro hydro dam in Kpg Keranggas.
PANTU, Sri Aman: The Ibans of Kampung Keranggas in Balai Ringin constituency, about 200km from Kuching, hope the government will fulfil its promise of providing 24-hour electricity supply they have been waiting for more than 40 years.
The Ibans under the leadership of three headmen, are continuously expressing their disappointment with the failed micro hydro dam project which was built in 2010 under the rural electrification scheme (RES).
According to one of the villagers who declined to be named, despite the promise to rectify the project during a meeting between the villagers and Balai Ringin assemblyman on April 28, 2014, nothing much had been done until today.
“For four years now it has become a white elephant. The wiring and the distribution cables are hanging lifelessly and an eyesore, not only to the villagers but also to visitors.”
He said if the project was beyond repair or too costly to repair then the next course of action was to recommend it to the board of survey for a write-off. It should not be left unattended to for four long years.
The statement also said the solar panels at each household were no longer producing an alternative source of electricity because the HEP cables were also fixed to the solar panel poles, making it difficult for the villagers to clean the panels.
“We urge the authority to remove all the (HEP) cables so that we can service the solar panels to make them operational again.
“This will provide us with electricity while waiting for the micro hydro project to be continued and operational.”
For the moment the villagers are relying on portable generator sets to supply 4 to 5 hours of electricity a day, which is very costly due to the high price of fuel.