Villagers told to help clean rivers in their midst

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Wan Junaidi (fifth left) distributes the fund to the JKKKs while others look on.

Wan Junaidi (fifth left) distributes the fund to the JKKKs while others look on.

LUNDU: Drainage and Irrigation Department is urging villagers in this district to help in cleaning rivers and clear blocked drains in their midst.

According to Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the people themselves should take the initiative to do the job and not rely on the government which might take a longer time to do.

He believed that work to clean rivers and clear blocked drains were the responsibility of everybody, not just the government.

“The government cannot do all the cleaning alone. Just imagine how much it will cost the to bring in skilled workers, rent boats and other equipment to do the work,” he told a press conference at the community hall here yesterday.

He said the problems were best solved if everybody did their part. He added that the DID could help by giving the villagers some money to do the cleaning work.

Earlier, 52 Village Development and Security Committees (JKKKs) in the district received a budget of RM10,000 each for the purpose. Wan Junaidi himself gave away the fund.

He said the fund was given not as a political stunt of the BN in the run-up to the Tanjong Datu by-election tomorrow.

“This budget was approved last year,” he said.

The federal government has approved a total of RM635.67 million under the 11th Malaysian Plan’s Second Rolling Plan for the implementation of 336 projects in Sarawak.

Most of the projects are related to flood mitigation and environmental recovery programmes.