No need for dam, what needed in Kota Belud is proper irrigation, says SAPP

The irrigation canal in Kesapang is full through out year.
Better irrigation and pumping is all what is needed.

By Peter Marajin
In response to Kadamaian Assemblyman, Datuk Herbert Timbon Lagadan's statement in newspapers today (14/07/2011) on the need of Tambatuon Dam, SAPP would like to disagree with his founding on the matter.

While we welcome a pledge of an increase of income for Kampung Tambatuon to RM500,000 annually should the dam is built, this is altogether a new statement designed to push the dam into the people's throat. We have to take this with a pint of salt taking into consideration the pathetic facts on displaced natives in other similar situation including in neighbouring Sarawak.  

It is also shocking to note the Kadamaian Assemblyman was now talking about Tambatuon people's "shares" in the electricity power being generated from the water dam, which all this while the dam was being promoted for water irrigation on paddy fields in Kota Belud, and not for electricity.

We have done a survey and what we found out was totally different from what Lagadan and the Federal agencies had been trying to put to the public.. that a dam in Tambatuon is needed to supply water to paddy fields in the district. which is earmarked to be the "rice bowl" of Sabah.

We found out from farmers, community leaders and even civil servants that generally actually water is more than sufficient for the paddy fields in Kota Belud, both the existing and in the near future.

I have surveyed and taken picture of an irrigation (terusan) in Tempasuk near Kesapang where the farmers told us that water is more than sufficient through out the year. Water is abundant even during drought season ! What is needed is a better watering and pumping system and a better control whereby water is supplied to all fields.

The irrigation in Kesapang which serves Kesapang, Pandasan, Jawi-Jawi and part of Taun Gusi areas has its source of water from the Wariu River, and the water is available through out the year. In fact farmers were lamenting that they have difficulty drying their paddy fields when water should be released from paddy fields when paddy is fruiting and ripen.

We are talking about Wariu River, not yet the more popular bigger Kadamaian River. Actually, the Federal Government could just spend a few millions to upgrade the existing irrigation system. There is no need for a half-billion ringgit Water Dam in Tambatuon if it is just to supply water to paddy fields in Kota Belud.

Or at least they can shift the dam to a less populated areas, and not in Tambatuon.