Oya River

Oya River (Malay: Sungai Oya or Batang Oya) is a river in Sarawak, Malaysia. The river mouth is located in Kuala Oya, Oya in Mukah Division. The river flows approximately 31 km and has a basin area of 2143.92 km2.[1][2]

Oya
Oya River flows through the small town of Dalat.
Oya River is located in Malaysia
Oya River
Location in Malaysia
Location
CountryMalaysia
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationSarawak, Malaysia
MouthOya
 • location
South China Sea, Malaysia
 • coordinates
2.875°N 111.882°E / 2.875; 111.882
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length31 km (19 mi)
Basin size2143.92 km2[1]

The river is the longest river in Mukah Division.[3]

History

The river was once under the control of the Bruneian Empire until it was ceded to James Brooke in 1861 and became part of the Raj of Sarawak.[4]

Settlements
Kg. Brunei, this is how a typical Melanau village looks like in Dalat. The houses are built near the Oya River

The river flows through small towns of Stapang, Dalat, and Oya.

Issues

Water hyacinth overgrowth

The uncontrolled growth of water hyacinth posed a number of problems such as restricting the river flow and causing the water to become stagnant; making it difficult for fishermen and boatmen to maneuver their boats, especially the ones with motor engines, due to entanglement; clogging the drains and other waterways which, in turn, could cause floods; and turning the Oya River into a hideout for crocodiles.[3][5] The Ministry of Transport (MoT) Sarawak will cooperate with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) in conducting a comprehensive study with regards to the problem.[5]

Crocodile attacks

Reports of saltwater crocodile attacks are pretty common especially at the downstream part of the river. The victims of these attacks are mostly fishermen who depend on the river for their livelihoods.[6][7][8] A joint operation by Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and Royal Malaysia Police in March 2021 recorded 22 sightings of the reptiles. A 4.5-meter crocodile was caught during the operation.[9]

References
  1. Gazetted Rivers. URL assessed on 11 August 2014
  2. Department of Irrigation and Drainage Sarawak. URL assessed on 11 August 2014
  3. Henry Siyu (14 November 2017). "Poser over floating 'parok' at Oya River". New Sarawak Tribune. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  4. Hughes-Hallet, H. R. (1940). "A Sketch of the History of Brunei". Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 18 (2): 38. JSTOR 41559952.
  5. Moh, Jane (29 December 2020). "Joint study meant to tackle water hyacinth overgrowth". The Borneo Post. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  6. "Lelaki hilang ketika menjala ditemui mati dipercayai diserang buaya". Astro Awani (in Malay). 7 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  7. Yahya, Harun (18 April 2019). "Tekad buru 'Si Kudung' mahu balas dendam". Berita Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  8. Yahya, Harun (11 November 2016). "Kaedah 'duri rotan' bantu kesan mangsa buaya". Berita Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  9. Chua, Andy (22 March 2021). "4.5m-long croc caught in Dalat after 10 days of surveillance". The Star Malaysia. Retrieved 23 March 2021.


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