NEWS & UPDATES

KUCHING
29 MARCH 2021

A recent joint agency and community effort has cleared floating debris at Bakun Lake’s Long Kebuho contributing to safe river passage of the lakeside community.

Long Kebuho, a community of about 100 households, depends primarily on the river as their main mode for transportation and source of livelihood. The stagnant floating debris, located about 80km upstream of the hydropower plant, had impeded ease of navigation of the river for the lakeside community.

Datuk Liwan Lagang, Assistant Minister for Utilities (Rural Electricity) Sarawak who is also Belaga State Assemblyman officiated and participated at the gotong royong which was organised by the Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) last Tuesday.

Twelve Sarawak Energy personnel joined the cleanup team alongside SRB officers for the gotong-royong which also included 40 Long Kebuho villagers. Sarawak Energy also contributed life vests, face masks and hand sanitisers to keep participants safe from the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

As part of its operational requirements, Sarawak Energy clears floating debris found within a 15KM radius of the dam to protect the 2,400MW Bakun HEP, a highly secured facility vital for Sarawak’s energy demand.

The clearing of floating debris is also crucial to ensure villagers who live upstream have safe boat passage on the lake and upriver tributaries.

“We truly feel we are a part of this lakeside community and they are a part of us, and many of our personnel are local to the area. Sarawak Energy’s Bakun and Murum hydropower teams continue to work together with the Bakun and Murum residents of Belaga to provide support when necessary and in the deployment of our social investments. This gotong-royong helps to clear the river passageways and fosters closer rapport with SRB and the communities whom we work closely with on our day-to-day operations,” said Polycarp Wong, Sarawak Energy Vice President for Hydropower.

Team Sarawak Energy joining the gotong-royong.

Working to clear the floating debris that have become stagnant at Long Kebuho for safe river passage.

The team from Bakun HEP presented a contribution of facemasks, bottles of hand sanitiser and 30 life vests to Maren Uma Aging Bato as witnessed by Datuk Liwan (second right).