Kuching: The recent damage to a 600mm water main along Jalan Canna by a contractor for the Kuching Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project has sparked renewed calls for tighter supervision and stricter government action.
DAPSY Kuching Chief George Lam said the disruption, which left thousands of households and businesses without water, could have been entirely avoided had the contractor identified the underground pipeline before starting excavation.
“Their failure to do so caused unnecessary damage and has severely affected public life. This is not the first time such an incident has occurred,” he said in a statement.
Lam urged Sarawak Metro to strengthen its oversight of ART project contractors and ensure coordination with the Sarawak Water Board to locate underground utilities before excavation.
“Such precautions are essential to prevent similar mistakes from continuing to disrupt people’s lives,” he stressed.
He also called on the Sarawak Government to take the repeated incidents of water pipe damage more seriously.
“These cases have happened at different locations, each time significantly impacting residents and business owners. The government must establish clear standards.
“If the same contractors keep making such mistakes, they should be replaced to protect the public’s interests and prevent future water supply disruptions,” he said.
Lam said that the water main supplies clean water to the entire Tabuan Jaya area, including major commercial zones such as TT3, Tabuan Jaya, Jalan Song, Stutong, and Saradise.
“The contractor’s mistake caused a full-day water outage, severely disrupting business operations. Many food outlets were forced to scale back or halt their operations. At the same time, service industries such as salons and car washes were unable to operate at all, resulting in significant financial losses.
“For the people, no water means they cannot carry out basic hygiene routines or cook at home. A full-day outage has caused great inconvenience and disrupted their daily lives,” he said.
