A Dipper, A Bucket And Hope: Kinarut Residents 'Pray For Rain' To Cope With Water Shortage

By Fadzli Ramli

PAPAR, Jan 12 (Bernama) -- A dipper tied to a wooden pole may appear ordinary, but it has become an essential tool for Jainis Ladzim to collect rainwater at his home situated at the Kinarut Flats here following persistent water supply disruptions since the end of last month.

“We lower it from the balcony to collect rainwater, then pour it into a ‘timbouk’ (a local term for a bucket). Since we live on the upper floors, it is easier to collect water this way from the front of the house. We have no choice because there is no sufficient water source,” he told Bernama.

The 48-year-old security guard is not alone. A video showing residents of the Kinarut Flats collectively collecting rainwater using dippers tied to wooden poles has gone viral on social media, drawing sympathy from netizens.

According to him, residents have resorted to ‘harvesting’ rainwater due to the near absence of water supply, compounded by scheduled rationing that has not been strictly adhered to, making it difficult for residents to store water for daily needs.

“This is not a new issue. Kinarut has long faced water supply problems to the point of rationing. We do not want temporary solutions like water tankers alone. We are appealing for a permanent solution so that at least our children will not have to endure such hardship,” said the father of four.

Meanwhile, housewife Jamiliah Ampau, 37, from Taman Limauan here shared how she and other residents in the area would arrange ‘timbouk’ around their homes to collect rainwater for daily use.

“Once it is full, we pour it into storage drums inside the house. If it rains heavily for a long time, we can fill a 32-gallon (approximately 121 litres) drum, which is enough for one or two days for the family, but we have to use it sparingly,” said the mother of five.

Though the residents were grateful for the assistance provided through water tanker deliveries, she said the measure was only temporary and insufficient to resolve a long-standing basic problem, especially as supply in her area has been cut off for the past 16 days.

“We want a permanent and comprehensive solution. The authorities must urgently upgrade the existing piping infrastructure or water treatment systems to accommodate the growing population density in Kinarut, so that such critical crises do not recur in the future,” she said.

A community leader in Kinarut bazaar, Ab Razali Ab Amit, 56, also told Bernama how he installed a piping system from the edge of his roof directly to a water storage tank, enabling rainwater collected from the roof to be channelled straight into the tank.

“A filter is also needed, eventhough it is only used for bathing or washing dishes. Rainwater is still not suitable for drinking... drinking water has to be bought in bottles from shops. Many residents here rely on rainwater collection for their (non-drinking) needs,” he said.

Amid the hardship, Ab Razali expressed his disappointment that some politicians continue to play up the issue by pointing fingers, when they should have observed a ‘political ceasefire’ and come together to resolve the problem.

“This is not the time to look for someone to blame. The people are suffering. I urge all leaders, regardless whether they are from the government or opposition, to put politics aside and work together to find technical solutions or secure immediate emergency funds. Everyone should turn up and deliver water, instead of endlessly ranting on social media,” he said.

The plight faced by residents who are forced to collect rainwater for daily use has led Papar Member of Parliament Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali to prioritise efforts to address the water supply crisis, without being drawn into political manoeuvring.

To address the issue, the Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living said the first step would involve cross-connecting the pipeline network from the Kogopon Water Treatment Plant (WTP) main tank directly to the main Kawang tank, with physical works starting last Friday.

Armizan said the second step would involve increasing the processing capacity of Kogopon WTP 1 from its current maximum of 40 million litres per day (MLD) through the replacement of three water treatment pumps as an interim measure, pending the full completion of Kogopon WTP 2 project in the fourth quarter of this year.

“The people certainly do not want to hear political rhetoric or excuses at this time. The targeted timeline to implement these measures is two weeks and the state government is also committed to personally monitoring the implementation of the related works,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said water supply delivery via tanker lorries will continue on a daily basis through the cooperation of various agencies, including the Sabah State Water Department, Jetama Sdn Bhd and local authorities, to critical areas until supply is fully restored and stabilised.

Among the focal locations for water delivery are the Mobile Tank at Taman Limauan, Kampung Madang, Taman Kinarut Selatan, Kinarut Flats, Taman Kinarut Ria, Taman Seri Anak, Taman Segindai, Taman LA Gloxinia and Taman PR1MA.

-- BERNAMA