Gabion walls to be installed along Jalan Jelatong to prevent soil erosion, says SUPP man

SIBU (Jan 20): Gabion walls are being installed in stages to prevent soil erosion at Jalan Jelatong, Bawang Assan here, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Bawang Assan Community and Development Committee chairman Kevin Lau.

He believed this project will effectively solve the long-standing issue of road collapsing in the area.

“The soil on both sides of Jalan Jelaton gradually eroded due to fast water currents from different directions in the drains.

“The reidents told us about the issue during our mobile service visits recently. The road is so narrow that it is very dangerous when there are vehicles from both sides that need to pass at the same time,” he said.

Lau, who is also Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) Environment and Public Health Standing Committee chairman said his team immediately went to the site and took photographs as evidence, after which they sent the report to SRDC’s engineering department for further action.

This was then followed by on-site surveys and after the survey, the council decided that gabion walls were the best solution to resolving the issue.

“Since Jalan Jelatong is long and (the project) involves a high cost, the project was finally approved after several proposals.

“However, the project will be carried out in phases and during the construction period, a section of the road will be closed to vehicles. All residents are urged to exercise caution,” he said.