SERIAN: Once deep enough to require swimming, parts of the Batang Sadong at Kampung Hulu are now only knee-deep – allowing villagers to walk across the river.
Kampung Hulu village chief, Morshidi Loncheng, said the prolonged dry spell had exposed the riverbed, with conditions worse than those experienced over the past two or three years.
“The situation is critical because the riverbed is clearly visible.
“I went down to the river two days ago and the water was only knee-deep, so we can now walk across it,” he told Sarawak Tribune today.
Morshidi said the river could rise slightly with the morning tide, but would recede again within two or three hours.
While the low water level had made river sand extraction easier, fishermen were forced to change their methods to continue earning an income.
He said freshwater prawns, normally their main catch, had become increasingly difficult to find during the dry season.
Some had instead turned to fish traps and ‘merambang’, a traditional method involving several people stretching a net across the river before walking through the shallow water to surround fish.
“Many large fish have been caught recently, including a large wallago catfish caught two or three days ago through ‘merambang’.
“These are among the alternative activities carried out by the fishermen to sustain their livelihood during the dry season,” he said.
Although Kampung Hulu had not experienced water supply problems due to its proximity to a treatment plant, Morshidi said villages farther away were more affected.
He had also advised residents to conserve water amid concerns that the dry conditions could worsen in the coming months.
The dry spell has also taken its toll on Ranchan Recreation Park, where the waterfall has nearly dried up.
Park caretaker, Roland Joseph, said the condition had persisted for about two to three weeks, causing visitor numbers to fall.
“There are still visitors, but most of them only walk around and look at the surroundings.
“Not many people have come to swim because there is hardly enough water at Ranchan Waterfall,” he said.
Chalet De’ Ranchan employee, Hacimah Haluci, said most visitors now come for programmes, weddings or meals at the eatery rather than swimming.
“It is now rare to see people coming here to swim because the waterfall is quite dry,” sHacimahhe said.
According to MetMalaysia’s El Niño-Southern Oscillation update on August 17, El Niño is currently at a moderate level.
It could reach strong or “super” intensity between September 2026 and January 2027 and is forecast to persist until at least April 2027.
