Published: Monday August 3, 2009 MYT 3:58:00 PM
Drought deepens in coastal Sarawak as El Nino tightens grip
KUCHING: About 18,000 people have been affected by the drought that has been gripping the coastal areas of Sarawak for more than a due to the El Nino effect, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan.
He said eight divisions Kuching, Samarahan, Betong, Sarikei, Mukah, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang were badly hit.
The phenomenon is expected to continue until September or October, extending the dry spell with below 50 per cent rains, he told reporters here Monday.
Dr Chan, who is state disaster relief committee chairman, said the Public Works Department (JKR) was supplying water to the drought-hit areas either by road or waterway.
Meanwhile, cloud seedings would be carried out to enhance rainfall over dam catchment areas.
Belawai sub-district, which has about 1,000 families, was the most affected area and the Welfare Services Department would send mineral water there, he added.
Linga assemblyman Simoi Peri said in Linga, which has a population of about 2,000, the people depended on water supply from the Sri Aman JKR and had to buy mineral water to drink for a month.
Linga penghulu Tamari Bang Edi said Linga was prone to drought during dry spells for the last 10 years as the Linga water treatment plant had dried up.
"We have to go to Sri Aman, 55km away to get clean water and buy mineral water costing RM4 a litre. The gravel road is very dusty," he told Bernama.
Simoi urged the government to enhance the Linga water treatment plant by channeling water from Sri Aman. - Bernama
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