SK Kambug pupils heading out to shower.
KUCHING: Boarding school SK Kambug in Upper Padawan near here has a host of problems with water and electricity, but nobody seems to care.
The more than 100 pupils of this tiny school, who are from nearby villages such as Kampung Sapit, Kampung Assum and Kampung Parang, rely on a gravity-feed water supply system and sometimes rainwater for their daily endeavours.
SK Kambug’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) president, Doris Tiot, said the water the school was getting was scarce and might not be hygienic.
“Water is scarce during droughts, but even when it rains heavily, there is still not enough water,” said Doris, an ex-pupil of the school – reachable by a 90-minute drive from Kuching.
“This is because the water pipeline is always blocked by leaves and debris.”
She told The Borneo Post that the school does have two small water tanks, but the stored water was only for cooking purposes. Hence, the pupils sometimes had no choice but to bathe using rainwater, and when rainwater dries up, they have to bathe at a river nearby.
“Last month alone, the school experienced dry taps twice. Doris, whose children are also studying in the school, said she was worried about the long term effects water from the nearby dam (for the gravity feed) had on the pupil’s health.
“Just besides the dam, people are growing lemongrass, cocoa and rubber trees. I am worried that the pesticides they use may contaminate the water.” Apart from the water issue, this school also faces numerous other difficulties. She revealed that the school was flooded early this year, and one of the pipelines burst due to strong water currents.
“Personnel from the Health Ministry came and promised to repair the pipes, but they never returned.
“So, parents and teachers all pitched in to pay for the RM3,000 repair fee.” On electricity, she said three of the four diesel generators that supply electricity to the school had broken down. With only one generator working, the school currently has only about 12 hours of electricity each day.
“I really hope the government can help resolve these problems promptly for the benefit of the teachers and pupils. I also hope the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (Bakas) unit can help relocate the dam site and improve the piping system.”