Approximately 150,000 individuals are facing the consequences of a severe drought in Sabah’s south-western Papar district, which is located about 40km away from Kota Kinabalu.
The district officer, Mohd Fuad Abdullah, disclosed that as of Friday (March 15), the affected population was identified to be residing in 42 villages and seven housing areas within the district. This has led to the declaration of a drought emergency in the region.
Furthermore, seven schools and three places of worship have also been impacted by the water scarcity, he mentioned.
“Efforts to provide clean water supply have been executed in four specific areas based on designated schedules, including SK Pantai Manis, Kampung Timbangan, Palm Condominium, and Gereja Kg Limbahau,” stated Mohd Fuad in a released statement on Friday.
He elaborated that substantial volumes of water are being transported to the Limbahau, Pantai Manis, and Kawang state constituencies through tanker lorries and vehicles affiliated with entities like the Sabah Water Department, Papar District Council, state Public Works Department, and the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department.
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Mohd Fuad highlighted a recent incident of a brush fire erupting, affecting approximately 0.8 hectares of land near SK Agama Sekayan, Pengalat Besar on Friday afternoon at 12.07pm. He also mentioned that nine brush fires have been recorded by the department since March 9.
He further indicated that the agricultural sector has also been impacted, citing 93 farmers in the Limbahau and Biau Padawan areas facing challenges due to the drought. Approximately 54.68 hectares of land in Limbahau and around 30.22 hectares in Biau Padawan have been affected as a result.
To raise awareness about fire prevention, he stated that the Sabah Information Department has initiated their Info On Wheels program in three villages.
“The state government will continue to monitor the situation closely. Therefore, the 24-hour district disaster control operations centre has been activated at the Papar District Office,” conveyed Mohd Fuad, urging the public to contact the centre at 088-914999 if needed.
