Drought: Villagers Use Sungai Golok As Source Of Water

TANAH MERAH, March 31 (Bernama) -- The prolonged drought situation over the past few months has forced residents in the Malaysia-Thailand border area, including Kampung Air Batu here, to turn to Sungai Golok as their daily water source.

Resident, Tengku Ab Rahman Tengku Abdullah, 46, said he now uses the river to perform various daily routines including performing ablutions due to the lack of water supply at home.

"My house is near Sungai Golok and when there is a problem with water at home, Sungai Golok is the solution for now.

"I have never seen the water level in Sungai Golok recede to knee level and now it is the focus of nearby residents to see the phenomenon," he said when met by reporters recently.

For his part, Mohd Imran Mohd Nor, 36, said he often visits the river with his younger brother every evening because the well at their house has dried up due to the drought.

"We used to transport water from the river for other uses but not for drinking. "We buy drinking water from a nearby shop," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Fakrul Ridzwan, 30, said the problem of water shortage has been going on for a long time since before Ramadan and all washing of clothes is now done in the river because the well at his house is also drying up.

"The water supply has been gone for a long time, the tube well at my house is also no longer producing water, it is believed to have dried up or needs to be deepened. To avoid this problem, I rely on the nearby river," he said, who lives about 300 metres from the river.

A Bernama survey found that the receding water level of Sungai Golok has also attracted the attention of villagers from a neighbouring country to join in using the river as a source of water supply.

-- BERNAMA