MACHANG: More than 2,000 residents from three villages here are living in fear of contracting water-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera and malaria during the monsoon season.
They depend on water from a hill for their daily use including cooking and bathing, but are now facing a higher risk of the water being polluted due to rain.
The residents from Kampung Dewan Besar, Kampung Dewan Kecil and Kampung Batu Berdiri claimed that they have been using water from Bukit Cabang Tongkat since 1988.
They want the Health Ministry to install water filters at three catchment areas in the villages.
Villager Mohd Korbi Zakaria said the villagers have been using water from the hill for several generations.
“We choose to use water from the hill because the water is clean and not smelly.
“We are glad the Health Ministry built pipes and water catchment areas few years ago. The pipe is 15km to channel water from the hill to about 700 houses in the three villages,” said the 45-year-old mechanic when met at Kampung Dewan Kecil here.
The father of four children said besides using the water to cook, some of them also used the water for bathing, washing clothes and other daily activities.
“Before this, some of us went directly to the water catchment to bath and wash clothes and even brought water home but after the pipe was laid, we get water directly in our homes,” he said.
Korbi said following the rainy season lately, many villagers were worried that the water catchment might be effected.
“We hope the relevant authority will help us to solve our problem,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pulai Chondong Pakatan Harapan chairman Kamaruddin Kadir said villagers thanked the Health Ministry for implementing the pipe water project for the three areas.
“Officers from the state Health department carried out inspection at the water catchment regularly and also along the pipe.
“However, the cleanliness level is not satisfactory because the water might be contaminated especially during the monsoon season.
“Therefore, the villagers are hoping that the Health Ministry will install water filters at the catchment areas so that the water will not be polluted,” he said.