Increased supply to resolve Bau District’s water woes

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Dato Henry Harry Jinep

BAU: Increased water supply from 10 million litres per day (MLD) to 15 MLD within this year should resolve Bau District’s water woes.

Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep said the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) is working to increase supply for the district’s 60,000 population.

“At the moment, we don’t have enough. But I was told by JBALB that we are going to have 15 MLD by end of this year,” he said during the launch of a Rural Electrification Scheme (RES) and water supply project at Kampung Suba Bau yesterday.

Harry said the district’s population is expected to increase rapidly given that Bau is well connected with the Pan Borneo Highway.

According to him, many who work in Kuching would take advantage of the road accessibility to build houses in their villages.

“I have been told that the Kuching Water Board will also supply treated water supply to Bau and Lundu. This will enable the supply to be at least 40 MLD per day all the way to Lundu,” he said.

Harry noted that the Sarawak government project would result in further development here, pointing out the improved water supply would likely see growth in housing projects and other sectors. On the RES, he said Bau District has received 3,288 applications, of which 1,535 have been carried out. Following a meeting with Sarawak Energy Berhad, he said the remaining applications would be addressed this month.

“There are applicants, whose houses are not fully completed yet; some just have the roof but no walls. Before the implementation, we want the contractors to have a dialogue session with the applicants so that in the process we can give the applicants certain period of time to complete the houses to make them eligible for the RES. This is the new approach we have introduced for Bau District. I hope the minister agrees with us,” he said.

He added all the remaining applicants should be connected with electricity supply by the end of this year.