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 Pictures: Mr Liew Ah Lek, Zainuddin, Penghulu Abu Kassim, Kong Kung Kwong (from 2nd left to right respectively) and others at the affected farm. Pictures: A section of the narrowed drainage. | |
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| BINTULU, Tues.-Community leaders and farmers at Kampung Jepak, about 30 Km off Bintulu town called on the authority concerned to allocate fund for the maintenance of drainage at their farm land. They have also seeked the assistant from Bintulu MP Dato' Seri Tiong King Sing through SNAP Service Centre here. Upon receiving complaints, SNAP Service Centre here has sent its representatives, including chairman of SNAP Kemena, Mr Liew Ah Lek, peoples' welfare team members Mr Kong Kung Kwong and Mr Lim Koh Toh to inspect the area across the river here recently. According to Penghulu Abu Kassim bin Suhaili, an irrigation drainage was constructed at this area in 1995. He said the 8 feet deep irrigation drainage constructed by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) passing through about 1,000 acres of farm land at Kampung Jepak. However, Penghulu Abu Kassim said as time passes by, erosion of soil especially at year end landas season has cuased blockage of the drain, resulting in flash flood during heavy rain.Various strectch of the drain has also faced clogging problems, he added. Another resident, Mr Zainuddin Damit revealed that during the year end landas season, almost all the farm land along the drain was flooded. "This has caused serious damages to our crops and the farmers also suffered great losses", he said. He also disclosed that applications have been forwarded to the department concerned but the repsonse was that they have to waite for the allocaiton in the coming years. Zainuddin hoped that Bintulu MP will assist them to get the fund for the maintenance of the irrigation drainage in order to ease the situation before the year end landas season. Farmers at this area were mostly Melanua and Kedayan. Their commercial crops including pineapples, sago, yam and tapioca. | |