Balui River logjam to be cleared after Covid control orders lifted, says state transport minister

The logjam in Balui River has affected five villages.

KUCHING (Jan 20): The logjam in the Balui River, which has affected the river travel of five villages, will be cleared as soon as the Covid-19 control orders are lifted in the state, said Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin.

The affected villages are Long Keboho, Naha Jalei, Naha Nyalong, Long Bulan and Long Jawe, involving 220 doors, he said in a statement today.

Lee said the Sarawak Rivers Board and the relevant agencies would work with the villagers to tag the logs, which will be spiked with iron nails, and secured onto the riverbank with rope for the safe passage of boats in the area.

“However, with the MCO (Movement Control order) declaration for Sibu Division from Jan 16 to 29 and Conditional MCO for other divisions in the state from Jan 18 to 31, the proposed river clearing activity has to be postponed in compliance with Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) directives on Covid -19,” he said.

In the meantime, Lee said SRB was making the necessary preparations so that the activity could be carried out once the orders were lifted.

“It is important to understand that the proposed river clearing activity will involve close interaction and contact between people and this is not allowed in our effort to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the State.”

Lee said his ministry had called a meeting on Dec 18 among stakeholders on the matter and following the meeting, a team led by SRB made a site visit to the area to survey the logjam situation in Upper Belaga area.

He pointed out that the issue was not new, and has been occurring since the impounding of the Bakun Hydroelectric Dam.

Lee was responding to a call by Parti Keadilan Rakyat Hulu Rajang Branch chief Abun Sui Anyit today to look into the logjam faced by folks at Sungai Linau as the community there used river transport to make a living.

Abun said the folks there were hampered by the debris and could not ply the river.

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