Prepare for dry spell ahead, Armizan warns Sabah govt

 

The Sabah government has been told to prepare for 20% less rainfall expected in Sabah from January to March.

PETALING JAYA: The Sabah state government has been urged by a federal minister to be prepared for less rainfall between January and March during the tail end of the yearly northeast monsoon.

Armizan Ali, a Cabinet minister and MP for Papar, said meteorologists had forecast a possible reduction of 20% in monthly rainfall during the monsoon period, Bernama reported.

He said the forecast for the monsoon period was presented to the central disaster management committee meeting last week by the meteorological department.

Armizan, who is minister for Sabah and Sarawak Affairs and special functions, said the Sabah state government should take measures to ensure that residents will still get their water supply.

“Water suppy disruption, a usual occurrence in Sabah, will be more serious because 20% of reduced rainfall is a large amount, which can affect the level of raw water supply in dams and rivers that are sources of water for treatment plants,” he said.

He urged the state government to get a detailed report on locations likely to experience reduced rainfall. - FMT