KOTA KINABALU: Some students of SMK Tongod are forced to bathe in a river potentially contaminated by effluents from nearby palm oil plantations.
Kuamut assemblyman Datuk Masiung Banah said the school has been experiencing a week-long water disruption, which has been a recurring issue.
"I was informed that Form 1 to Form 4 students had to return home to study and will only be called back to the hostel and school once the water supply is restored.
"Meanwhile, parents of Form 5 and 6 students allow them to bathe in Sungai Millian, which is approximately 100 metres from the school.
"The colour of the river is brown (milk tea colour).
"Although no studies have been conducted on the water quality, it is visibly less clean than it was before the establishment of palm oil plantations," he said at a press conference at the Sabah state assembly here.
He urged the relevant authorities to resolve the water supply issues promptly.
Meanwhile, Masiung also called for compensation for constituents whose agricultural lands or properties have been damaged by elephants.
He said Sabah Wildlife Department has taught villagers to chase away these protected animals, but the human-elephant conflict has persisted for four years.
"Each family incurs damages of between two and five acres of land," he said.