KOTA KINABALU: From murky water to dry taps and hazy conditions, the people in Papar can’t seem to catch a break.
Many in Papar, a small town about 40km from here, have been experiencing water shortages as a result of the drought, with some going without for up to a week.
On top of this, they also have to deal with the hazy atmosphere from open burning.
This comes even as firemen in parts of Sabah are stamping out the remaining bush, jungle and open fires totalling about 1,708ha.
Other residents, in the meantime, have to put up with weak water pressure and, occasionally, murky water flowing from the tap.
Civil servant Suriayanti Roslan, 41, said that the water supply to her home in Kampung Kuala has been cut off in the past week.
“Our taps are dry. It’s been a week.”
“We have to keep watching out for the water trucks to come by and quickly grab our pails and barrels,” she said, adding that these lorries would stop by at a mosque.
As for Rafiqah Dahali, 32, she said the situation is better at Kampung Kelanahan, where she lives.
Their problem was “minor”, such as low water pressure, she said.
“Occasionally, our tap water would be murky but it would turn clear if we let the water run for about half an hour,” she added.
The murky water, which she dubbed “Milo”, would be used to flush toilets.
Last Wednesday, Papar district officer Mohd Fuad Abdullah declared a drought emergency for the district and ordered the immediate activation of the District Disaster Management Operations Centre.
This was to address water distribution to the people affected by the dry spell, he said.
According to Bernama, many parents with school-aged children are concerned about the hazy conditions caused by the open burning and drought disaster that has affected the district and several areas of the state.
Housewife Noor Syakira Zulkifli, 39, said her 11-year-old daughter had red eyes and blurry vision.
As a precautionary measure, this mother of three said she limited the time her children spent outdoors.
The haze on Wednesday was worse than yesterday due to a fire in the padi fields, she said.
“I hope schools look into other initiatives, such as shorter school hours, if this situation (haze) continues,” she said.
On a brighter note, Sabah’s overall haze situation is improving,
Areas with an air pollutant index (API) level that remain at a moderate level (51 to 100 API) as of 4pm are Tawau (52), Kota Kinabalu (61), Politeknik Kota Kinabalu (87), Kimanis (83), and Labuan (56).
API readings between 0 and 50 are categorised as good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), and 300 and above are hazardous.
Assistant Fire Superintendent Riki Mohan Singh Ramday said the areas are Tuaran, Beaufort, Papar, Kota Kinabalu, Menggatal, Tuaran, Kimanis, Kota Belud, Pitas, Inanam, Sipitang and Kuala Penyu.
Beaufort recorded the biggest area affected at over 8ha involving an estate, followed by forest fires in Sipitang at over 6ha, secondary forest fires in Pitas (4ha) and Tuaran (4ha), and Rampayan Menggatal with over 3ha of secondary forest fires.
The assistant superintendent said most of these fires have been put out.
