Sarawak Metro must take action against KUTS contractors over pipe damage, says Dapsy man
KUCHING (July 25): The Kuching Urban Transformation System's (KUTS) project undertaker, Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd must investigate, penalise and blacklist irresponsible contractors who caused the recent pipeline damage, said Wong King Yii.
The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak treasurer also called upon the Kuching Water Board to take prompt action to ensure residents in affected areas have access to clean water.
'I am dismayed by the repeated pipeline damage caused by contractors working under the KUTS project.
'These incidents have disrupted water supply to thousands of residents in Tabuan Jaya, Samarahan and nearby areas as a result of negligence and poor supervision,' he said in a statement today.
KWB said a 12-inch asbestos cement water main near Jalan Wan Alwi was damaged on July 22 while a 200mm ductile iron main at Desa Ilmu was also damaged during construction on July 18.
Wong said KWB must strive to resolve the long-standing murky water issues in other parts of Kuching, especially in Green Road and Jalan Song.
According to him, the board has repeatedly promised to fix the murky water problem in Green Road but residents there continue to face murky, discoloured water.
In Jalan Song, he said the situation is equally bad with residents recently experiencing either murky water or no water supply at all.
'Some were forced to shower at hotels just to get through the day. This is not just an inconvenience – it's a failure in basic service delivery.
'What makes matters worse is that the transboundary haze is already happening. With temperatures rising and air quality declining, access to clean and uninterrupted water supply is more critical than ever.
'The last thing people need in this weather is to deal with brown water or dry taps,' he lamented.
Wong said development means nothing if basic utilities like clean water cannot be guaranteed.
Given this, he said those responsible, be it contractor negligence or agency inaction, must be held accountable.
'Sarawakians deserve reliable infrastructure, not recurring disruptions and vague assurances,' he added.
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