SIBU: Works are underway to deliver water supply to several longhouses in Tamin area, says Minister of Public Utilities Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi.

“Presently, 80 per cent of the water meters have been installed at Dijih Road and its vicinity. Another 20 per cent of the water meters will be installed before Gawai Dayak celebration,” he said Thursday.

He was responding to Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang’s recent call for relevant authorities to expedite the works to connect water and electricity supplies to several longhouses in his constituency such as Nanga Dangih Oya, Pulugau Balingian and Kua.

Gira has also called on Sibu Water Board (SWB) and Public Works Department (JKR) to accelerate the project on supplying water to longhouses

in Sekuau, located along Dijih Road and Rumah Anom near Mile 18.

Dr Rundi said Rumah Anom (under SWB’s jurisdiction) areas will be connected with water supply pipelines before the festive celebration.

Nanga Dangih Oya in Sekuau areas and Kua which have yet to be connected with water supply pipelines, have been included under upgrading of Nanga Sekuau/Nanga Stapang Water Treatment Plant’s project.

“Pulugau Balingian is yet to be connected with water supply pipelines, the project has been included under 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) submission to Ministry of Rural and Regional Development,” said Dr Rundi, who is Kemena assemblyman.

Meanwhile, he disclosed that his ministry targets to connect electricity supply to 50 villages in rural areas across Sarawak by end of this year.

He said Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) and JKR were doing ground surveys of villages for design scheme, equipment siting, and specifications for 50 villages for implementation in 2016.

Dr Rundi added: “Progressive surveys of 273 villages are on-going for implementations staged over the period of 2017 to 2020. It will be a 50-50 federal-state funding under the National Blue Ocean Strategy.”

On the difference between ground and progressive surveys, he explained that the challenges in term of infrastructures and scattered settlements, which incur more costs of implementations.