Day 4: 7th of July: Unit BAKAS

Hello people :)

Today we were taken to the Unit Kesihatan Persekitaran (Environmental Health Unit). BAKAS (Unit Bekalan Air dan Kebersihan Alam Sekitar) is the unit that provides safe water supply to the people in the kampung (orang luar bandar).

16 mukim (sub-districts), 267 villages, 18,655 houses and 87,249 people are under the care of BAKAS. (Note: BAKAS only takes care of people in the villages or out of town, those houses in town are taken care of by the city council).

Objektif am:

Untuk meninggikan taraf kesihatan penduduk luar bandar melalui kesihatan alam sekitar yang sempurna.

Objektif khas:

1. Mengurangkan kejadian penyakit berjangkit dan penyakit bawaan cacing.
2. Mendapatkan penyertaan maksima dari penduduk bagi membaiki kebersihan alam sekitar dan projek-projek yang dilaksanakan.
3. Meningkatkan pengetahuan orang ramai tentang kesihatan persekitaran melalui program-program pendidikan kesihatan.
4. Memastikan pembinaan dan penggunaan tandas sempurna 100%.
5. Memastikan semua penduduk mendapat bekalan air yang bersih.
6. Memastikan semua rumah menikmati sistem pelupusan sampah.
7. Memastikan semua rumah menikmati sistem air limbah yang sempurna.

The water supply in Kuala Muda district is by the Jabatan Bekalan Air (JBA) which is known as SADA (Sistem Air Darul Aman) in Kuala Muda.

From L-R: Me, Mr. Mohammad Noor, the Health Inspector of Unit BAKAS and Mr. Hisham, the PKA (Penolong Kesihatan Alam).

Health Inspectors will review the applications by the people of a particular area who needs to build proper toilet but is lack of fund. Then the PKA will go to the respective areas and see which area needs it more because the quota is limited. The government gives RM 800 for an approved application of toilet. The house will then be supplied with the stuff that is needed to build a toilet and the balance will be used to hire a contractor if they cannot afford one.

The 2 systems which are done under Unit BAKAS:

Sistem Air Limbah

The diagram above is the how the sistem air limbah works. Sistem air limbah only takes water from the sink. Water from bathroom and other washing purposes will NOT be drained to this concrete ring (kerek) above.

The concrete ring looks like this

It will be put vertically after a hole like this is created


2 concrete rings will be put into the ground and then the water will flow into this "system" and get absorbed by the ground, because it's not covered at the bottom.

3 rings will be used for the pipes from toilets. It operates like a septic tank but this the "rural area version" of septic tank. After 3 concrete rings are put into the hole (approximately 30ft.) above, a small part of it will be out on the ground, and it will be covered with a cover.

RM 550 is given for this system and like what I've mentioned above, the remainder will be used to hire the contractor.

Next is the sistem pelupusan sisa pepejal (A system that destroys solids?):


Again, the concrete ring will be placed into the ground and solid rubbish items will be placed into it for burning purpose. It also has a cover to prevent children from falling into it.

The diameter of the ring is about 3meter.



Will be going to the HIV/AIDS and TB unit tomorrow. Till then :)