KUCHING (March 18): A total of 15 rural water supply projects throughout Sarawak categorised as ‘sick’ are set for completion within this year.

In giving this assurance, the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) Sarawak director Awang Mohammad Fadillah Awg Redzuan said previously, 39 sick projects were recorded.

“Alhamdullilah (Praise be for Allah), with our intervention last year, we now have 15 sick projects left.

“We’re confident that with our intervention, we can finish these projects within this year,” he told reporters after officiating at the state-level ‘World Water Day’ celebration at a hotel here last night.

On the sick project, Awang Mohammad Fadillah attributed the delays in project completion to the underperformance of contractors involved.

“To address this issue, JBALB has taken proactive steps, including closely monitoring the contractors and implementing drastic measures to ensure adherence to schedules.

“To reduce non-revenue water, JBALB had embarked on a large-scale pipe replacement programme, involving a total of 420 projects with a total cost of RM558 million.

“Of these, 307 projects have yet to start, 84 are in the planning phase, and 29 are currently underway – with the approved budget for the 2024/2025 period standing at RM119 million.”

He added that for the rural areas yet to be connected to JBALB’s main pipeline, the Sarawak Alternative Water Supply (SAWAS) programme had been implemented to ensure access to clean water supply.

“With these ongoing efforts, this would contribute to achieving 100 per cent water supply coverage in Sarawak’s rural areas by 2030.

“As at 2024, the coverage stood at 70.5 per cent.”

Meanwhile, the event last night also included the launch of JBALB’s ‘Jom Jimat Air Bersama Komuniti’ programme, promoting water conservation at the community level.

“This initiative aims to educate the public on simple water-saving measures, reduce excessive water usage, and foster water-consciousness among the communities.

“Activities include awareness workshops, distribution of educational materials, creativity competitions, and collaboration with private sectors and universities to develop innovative water management solutions,” said Awang Mohammad Fadillah in his speech earlier.

At the event, he also presented appreciation plaques to members of the local media for their continuous support in disseminating news covering rural water supply.