BELAGA: Residents in four settlements here are set to receive treated water supply under a new connection project aimed at addressing longstanding water supply challenges in one of Sarawak’s most remote districts.
The project, implemented under the Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA), will extend treated water supply from Belaga town to Rumah Sekapan Piit, Rumah Sekapan Panjang, Rumah Badeng Long Dungai and Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Airport.
Political Secretary to the Sarawak Premier Thomas Balan Bang said the project reflects the Sarawak government’s continued commitment to ensuring rural communities have access to quality, reliable and sustainable basic amenities.
“This project is undoubtedly very important for the wellbeing of the people because access to water is a basic necessity that should be enjoyed by all residents in Belaga,” he said when representing Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunications and Belaga assemblyman Datuk Liwan Lagang at the groundbreaking ceremony at Sungai Long Amo Bridge on Thursday (Jul 2).
Thomas said the project is expected to benefit communities that have long faced challenges in accessing treated water due to Belaga’s vast geographical area, dispersed settlements and difficult terrain.
He also expressed hope that the implementing agencies and contractors would complete the project according to schedule, while urging residents in the affected areas to cooperate to ensure its smooth implementation.
The project forms part of URDA Package Four, which aims to strengthen water supply infrastructure in the Kapit and Belaga divisions as part of broader efforts to improve basic amenities in Sarawak’s interior regions.
Belaga, one of Sarawak’s largest and most remote districts, has historically faced challenges in providing treated water to rural communities due to its vast geographical area, scattered settlements and infrastructure constraints.
In recent years, the Sarawak government has intensified efforts to expand treated water coverage in interior areas through major investments in water infrastructure and regional development agencies such as URDA, in line with its goal of achieving universal access to clean and reliable water supply by 2030.
