KUCHING: Several water treatment plants in the state had to halt operations when the floods struck because the booster pump stations were not functioning properly.
Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi said the water supply assets were affected by the flood and critical river levels.
“This led to operations being halted, resulting in some areas experiencing water supply disruptions.
“Similarly, for the electricity supply, some substations had to be shut down to prevent the risk of electrical shocks,” he said.
He said this after an official site visit to the Rampangi I and II Scheme Pipe Replacement Project at Jalan Sungai Buah, Rampangi, today (Feb 5).
He emphasised that his ministry’s priority now is to restore all utility supplies as quickly as possible so that residents can resume their normal lives.
He said the estimated total losses caused by the flood disaster in Sarawak can only be assessed once the situation in all affected areas returns to normal.
“So far, the official assessment has not yet been determined, as some areas are still experiencing flooding.
“The loss estimates will be made once the situation calms down. However, we hope that the damage is not too severe, especially for the affected electricity and water supply infrastructure.
“However, the government’s priority at this time is to ensure the safety of the residents and take care of the welfare of the victims taking shelter at the temporary evacuation centers (PPS),” he said.
Meanwhile, when asked about the public’s request, especially from Bintulu, for the government to provide discounts on electricity and water bills, he said the matter needs to be reviewed first.
“This needs to be discussed further with the relevant parties before any decision can be made.
“However, what can be confirmed is that if the electricity supply is cut off, the meters will not run, meaning no charges will be imposed for the duration of the outage,” he said.
