Zuhaidah (fifth left) and party members with the villagers of Rumah Lagan.
MIRI: Residents of Rumah Lagan, a longhouse at Sungai Telajin in Lambir, are appealing to the government to expedite the supply of clean water as the river water is not fit for consumption due to pollution.
Currently, the 200-odd villagers have to depend on rainwater for cooking and washing.
“Water pipes have been installed and (the project) completed in May 2018 but until today, there is no water coming out of the taps. What is the rationale behind the delay?” said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Women supreme council member Zuhaidah Suboh when contacted yesterday.
She said during her recent visit with party members to the longhouse, the residents complained that the water in the rivers there was not even safe for washing.
“With no clean or piped water, they are forced to wash in the river – the quality of which is deteriorating due to pollution believed to be derived from nearby oil palm estates. Many villagers have suffered from rashes and itch,” she said.
The villagers, said Zuhaidah, also wanted their elected representatives to get the relevant government agencies to expedite the maintenance works on the village road.
“The road to the longhouses (Rumah Lagan and Rumah Insin), about 6km long from the main road, is not tar-sealed. Only about 1km of the road from the longhouses is tar-sealed.
“The residents are appealing for the remaining stretch of the road to be tar-sealed too,” said Zuhaidah.