KUCHING: The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will convene over the next two days in response to the ongoing dry spell, aiming to monitor and address water shortages across the state.
SDMC chairman and Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the water shortage is a serious concern and that ground teams are prepared to respond as the situation develops.
He said Sarawak is currently facing hot and dry conditions, and all divisional and district disaster management committees have been instructed to remain on high alert, as such weather is a recurring challenge for the state.
Uggah noted that the number of hotspot areas continues to rise daily.
“I received a report from the Mukah Resident yesterday regarding the situation there, and they have already taken necessary action.
“Our directive is for all relevant agencies to continuously monitor the situation. In Kuala Baram, we’ve instructed the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) to deploy drones to help detect hotspots.
“This approach allows us to identify smoke early. With peat fires, if we wait until we see flames, it usually means a large area has already burned. That’s why we are using drones to spot smoke early and respond quickly,” he said when met after officiating the Borneo International Integrity Summit (BIIS) 2025 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.
He also reminded all resident and district offices to monitor villages facing water shortages and to coordinate closely with the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB).
Apart from that, Uggah advised the public to refrain from open burning, stressing that even small fires can escalate into major blazes.
“The Health Department will also issue guidelines if the Air Pollutant Index (API) reaches unhealthy levels, and everyone must take precautions to safeguard their health.
“We ask for the cooperation of the public in preventing open burning. With everyone’s effort, the situation can be brought under control,” he said.
