Taps will run dry by 2014 if treatment plant not built, Putrajaya reiterates

PUTRAJAYA - Taps will run dry in Selangor by 2014 if the Langat 2 water treatment plant is not built, the federal government has reiterated.

Faulting the Pakatan Rakyat state government for the delay, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin said Tuesday that his ministry would be releasing a 20-minute documentary to "educate" the public about the looming possibility of water shortages.

"If the people of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya face water cuts by 2014, I hope the public don't come and blame Peter Chin, the prime minister or the federal government," he said.

Both the federal and Selangor state governments are locked in a battle of wills over the construction of the RM8.65bil project to treat water from Pahang.

Earlier in the year, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the state government was not against the Langat 2 project in principle but questioned the priority given to its completion before the state's water restructuring exercise was completed.

He said in addition to the construction of the plant, the management of the state's water industry and its assets must also be given due attention.

The Selangor government, Khalid said, was prepared to cooperate with any party, including the federal government to ensure the people's well being.

The federal government, in July 2010, had asked for the state government's consent for the construction of the plant, which Khalid said was not urgent as the state was sufficient in water resources until 2019.

- The Star