Kampung Kuala Koh Orang Asli to get clean water soon

GUA MUSANG, July 18 (Bernama) -- Fifty-eight Orang Asli families comprising 185 villagers of the Batik tribe in Kampung Kuala Koh, will receive clean water through a tube well soon.

The National Disaster Management Agency’s (NADMA) deputy director-general (Operations Implementation Sector) Zakaria Shaaban, said the construction of the tube well was in its final stage and will include water quality testing.

He said there was a need for clean water as the residents have for so long been relying on water from the highlands and from the river close to their village.

The provision for clean water through the tube well was already planned by the government to prevent the use of water from other non-clean water sources, added Zakaria.

"We are not stopping them from using water from the hills or rivers but it must be boiled before they drink,” he said at the Perdana gotong royong programme, here today. It was held to clean up the village following the recent outbreak of measles.

Zakaria said he was also satisfied with the participation of 25 government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the gotong-royong

Also present were the adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Dr Mohamad Salmi Mohd Sohod, Kelantan/Terengganu Orang Asli Development Department director Hashim Alang Abdul Hamid and Gua Musang Police chief Supt Mohd Taufik Maidin.

Fifteen villagers from the tribe had died from measles while 112 others with symptoms of the disease received treatment at Gua Musang Hospital (HGM) and Kuala Krai Hospital (HKK).

-- BERNAMA