ROBAN: A total of RM15 million has been approved by the federal government through the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) to implement the Rural Clean Water Supply Project in Ulu Roban here.
Senator Pele Peter Tinggom said RM720,000 of the allocation has been set aside for initial on-site work starting this year as the first phase of the project.
He explained that the funding followed repeated efforts to raise the matter (four times) in the Senate since last year, including sessions in July and December last year and February and July this year, highlighting long-standing water supply issues in the area.
“The project is currently at the pre-implementation stage, with the tender process ongoing at the ministerial level, while early work has already begun to ensure a smooth transition before full construction,” he said in a news report by TVS during a visit to Rumah Luang Bunsu in Empaong on Friday, which included a briefing session with residents on the project’s progress.
Peter noted that once completed, the project will benefit residents of eight longhouses in Empaong, Ulu Roban, who have depended on alternative water sources until now.
He added that the project will involve installing a new piping system, connecting it to the main water network, and constructing supporting infrastructure to ensure clean, treated water is supplied with greater consistency and quality.
Expressing relief that the initiative, first raised last year, has now gained full ministry approval, Peter said he is confident the RM15 million project will significantly improve the community’s quality of life and resolve the long-standing water supply issue.
