KUCHING: The State Social Welfare Department had supplied a total of 110,980 boxes of bottled drinking water from August 1 to 16 to people hit by the current drought season. Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said that the department has been working together with the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) to get water to several affected areas.
She said in cases where the affected areas could not get water from JBALB, the Welfare Department would supply bottled water. For areas that are accessible to JBALB, they would use tankers to deliver water.
“The assistance rate is 24 1.5-litre bottles for each person for one week,” she told reporters after a State Disaster Management Committee meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, yesterday. “A total of 771,120 litres of bottled water were supplied in Sarikei during the drought season before,” she said.
Fatimah then reminded the people not to throw empty water bottles into rivers or drains so as not to pollute the environment. According to the Social Welfare Department’s report, the water shortage has affected areas in Kuching with one case, Samarahan (11), Serian (24), Sri Aman (87), Betong (15), Sarikei (17), Sibu (3), Kapit (9), Mukah (9), Bintulu (30), and Miri (76). The total number of affected persons was recorded at 41,423.
