(Front from left) Elvis and Jamit lead the inspection of the clean-up.
KAPIT: The Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) has been asked to handle the maintenance of the longboat jetty here.
Kapit District Officer Elvis Didit said this is necessary as a long-term solution after mud up to one metre thick covered the longboat jetty and its cement walkway due to high water levels following heavy rain recently.
“We hope that SRB can come into the picture and build something like a fire hydrant to flush the mud. Don’t wait till it’s thick like this, almost one metre. If you have regular maintenance, flushing every time the mud is here, then it wouldn’t be that thick,” said Elvis during an inspection of cleaning work initiated by the Public Works Department (JKR) yesterday.
“So we don’t have to employ so many workers, one person to do the flushing. Every time after the river’s swollen, when the water level has subsided, flush immediately.”
He said JKR estimated that the manual clearing work, which was necessary because the walkway is too narrow for machinery, would be completed today (Friday).
Elvis added that JKR has written officially to SRB to take over maintenance of the the jetty.
Meanwhile, Jefferson Jamit Unyat, a political secretary to the Chief Minister, it is vital to find a solution to the problem.
“This longboat jetty plays a very important role being the gateway for many longhouse folk along the Rajang and Baleh rivers, who use longboats to Kapit,” he said.
Temenggong Tan Kian Hoo agreed that SRB should take over the longboat jetty’s maintenance.
“Because this is near to the river. On my part, I’ll brief (Land Development Minister) Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing for the time being, to allocate some funds to the contractor to maintain this facility while waiting for SRB to take over the responsibility,” he added.