TAWAU: Low river levels and ongoing pipe repair works are among the main causes of the prolonged water crisis affecting the district’s residents over the past three days, said Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah President Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah.
He said his office had been receiving numerous complaints and calls from the public regarding the issue.
According to him, many residents have been forced to rely on bottled mineral water as a temporary solution for their daily needs.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“This should not have happened. The Sabah Water Department (SWD) should have acted early to prevent the situation from worsening and affecting the people here. It also risks damaging the State Government’s image.
“Water is a basic necessity, not just for residents but also for businesses in Tawau. How long can people continue like this when there seems to be no quick solution?” he said here, Sunday. Liew said he was informed that river water levels remain low, raising concerns that the same problem would likely recur in the future.
“The SWD has decades of experience managing water supply in Tawau. Yet there is still no effective solution to this recurring issue.”
He said he had contacted State Works Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya, the District Water Engineer and the Tawau Municipal Council President, and was informed that an urgent discussion would be held to address the problem.
Liew added that many more villagers in Tawau could be affected but may not have lodged reports, having lost confidence in the authorities.
“Even my own house has no water. I receive complaints from residents almost every day. We have been doing our best to distribute bottled water to affected families as temporary relief,” he said.
