Latest news with #waterwoes
CBC
22-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Water flows again in Tataskweyak Cree Nation as evacuees await return
A northern Manitoba community beleaguered by wildfire and water woes for more than a month announced Saturday its water treatment plant is once again functioning properly. Tataskweyak Cree Nation, also known as Split Lake, first declared a state of emergency on May 29 due to a nearby wildfire. Several homes were destroyed by the blaze, which forced nearly 200 people to evacuate the community. The following day, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the community, located just over 700 kilometres north of Winnipeg. While the initial evacuation order was lifted on June 17, the community declared a second state of emergency the same day when its water treatment plant failed. Residents were advised not to return home until the issues were resolved. On Saturday, Tataskweyak chief and council posted on social media that the community's water treatment plant is now functioning properly after repairs to an intake valve. The post states work remains to be done, including flushing water lines and conducting water quality tests. CBC has reached out to the chief and council for comment. Eager to return home Community member Alberteen Spence says evacuees are doing their best to cope while awaiting news on returning home. There's a growing sense of fatigue among evacuees who have been living in hotels for almost two months, and they are anxious to get home. Many residents are watching for updates on the water station on the First Nation. It's one of many factors that will affect whether it is safe to return home, Spence said, adding they also need full health services and safe supply routes. "They need to have people in the nursing station, you know, people working in the store.... We need to have those supply routes open," Spence said. There are also concerns that the fire needs to be contained and the effect of the smoke on air quality, she said. Tataskweyak chief and council say re-entry will happen in phases, which means not all residents will return at once. Those who are Priority 1 — including elders, and those with respiratory issues or chronic Illness — will return last. "Re-Entry; If plans work out for members to return, discussions will begin to talk about transportation and repatriation," said chief and council on social media. "A formal announcement will be made, so please be patient. We do not know the exact date as to when you can return home yet." As of the province's latest fire bulletin on Monday, the 25,225-hectare wildfire near Tataskweyak is out of control, and the community remains under a mandatory evacuation order.
Free Malaysia Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Sabah rally-goers slammed over burning of caricature
Participants at the Gempur Rasuah 2.0 rally in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, painting a caricature of the prime minister before setting it on fire. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : A Sabah PKR leader is puzzled over why rally-goers protesting the water woes plaguing Universiti Malaysia Sabah set fire to a caricature of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during the gathering. Razeef Rakimin pointed out that Anwar had previously announced an allocation of RM3 million to resolve the water supply disruptions at the university. 'The prime minister approved the sum after listening to the students' grouses and yet he was targeted,' he said in a statement this evening. During a trip to Kota Kinabalu in May 2023, Anwar said the federal government would channel the sum to the state government to resolve UMS's water woes. In January last year, higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir announced an additional allocation of RM2 million to UMS for the same purpose. The Gempur Rasuah 2.0 rally, organised by several UMS students over the weekend, ended with the burning of Anwar's caricature. According to Malaysiakini, the rally began at about 1pm on Saturday and continued until 11am yesterday with over 100 participants who called for action against the Sabah water department. Razeef, who is the Tuaran PKR chief, said that while the party had no issue with the public holding rallies, there was something amiss with the approach adopted by the organisers of the Gempur Rasuah 2.0 rally. He said the campaign resorted to snide remarks and swearing, 'which many found off-putting'. When only 50 to 80 rally-goers turned up on the first day, he said, the organisers came up with a new gimmick – drawing Anwar's caricature and burning it. 'It is clear that it was not only a desperate stunt, but one that was also directed at the wrong person,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
29-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Deputy minister blames UMS water woes on tube well
The state government is said to be expediting the construction of a pipe from the water treatment plant in Telibong, which is expected to be a long-term solution to UMS's water woes. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : A federal deputy minister has blamed the prolonged water disruptions at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on the tube well which he says can only supply one million litres of water daily. Mustapha Sakmud said the campus needs five million litres per day. He said he had asked chief minister Hajiji Noor to order the Sabah water department to ensure that water supply to the campus remains uninterrupted. 'The state government is expediting the construction of a pipe from the water treatment plant in Telibong to meet the demands of the increasing number of consumers,' the deputy higher education minister told FMT, adding that the pipe should be a long-term solution to UMS's water woes. 'We were informed that the project (pipe construction) is progressing slowly due to the ongoing construction of the Pan Borneo Highway,' he added. Yesterday, the Sabah chapter of the National Consumer Foundation Malaysia expressed concern over the water supply disruptions at UMS. Its chairman David Chan said the prolonged crisis reflected poorly on the state's ability to provide basic utilities to vital institutions, The Borneo Post reported. Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg pledged to raise the matter with higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir after a Sarawakian student wrote to him about the issue.
CBC
10-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Puvirnituq sees temporary fix to pipe problems, as issues persist elsewhere in Nunavik
After months of disruption, residents in Puvirnituq have a temporary solution to their water woes. But some other Nunavik villages, which are dealing with similar issues, still don't have a solution in sight. Samuel Wat has more.
