NILAI: The Selangor government has been given four months until July to agree to implement the water migration process to prevent the water crisis in the state from worsening.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry’s secretary-general Zaini Ujang said if Selangor declined to make the decision, many implications would arise.
This included the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (LRA), which has completed the process of testing and commissioning, being left idle, he said.
Zaini said Langat 2 LRA is able to provide a 10% safety margin for water storage, amounting to 565 million litres per day (MLD).
“As of now, the water storage margin in Selangor is at zero.
“This means that water supply is not enough to be channelled to other places. Furthermore, the level of water consumption in Selangor is very high.”
He said this to the media after the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) Dialogue session and the Green Technology Master Plan 2017-2030 at the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia here today.
Zaini said Selangor and other states that did not implement the water migration process had to incur high cost, between RM3 billion and RM8 billion, to implement plant construction, pipe replacements and other maintenance works. No company would be willing to spend that much.
“For instance, in Selangor, what happened was that they did small maintenance works such as fixing leaking pipes.
“Hence, if the 40-year-old pipes are not replaced, they will burst and the situation becomes worse. This is not just a water issue, it is about not having enough water storage margin,” he said.
In another development, Zaini said the federal government had allocated RM1.9 billion to build off-river storage (ORS) in four states in order to ensure continuous water supply to accommodate the needs and support the development of the areas.
He said during the tabling of 2018 Budget, Prime Minister Najib Razak had approved an allocation of RM400 million for the construction of ORS in Linggi, Negeri Sembilan, RM300 million for Melaka and RM600 million in Langkawi, Kedah and Johor respectively.
“The ORS to be built in Linggi is to support the rapid growth of the development of the Malaysia Vision Valley in the area.”
Zaini said the consultation process for the ORS project had been initiated and construction was expected to commence next year. It would take two to three years to complete the project.
Several areas around the federal capital and Selangor are still experiencing water supply disruptions since March 6.
Although Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) expected the water supply to be fully restored by today, there were still disappointed residents as the water supply disruptions continued in their areas, affecting their daily activities.
Housewife Stephanie Lam, 33, from Puchong Perdana, Puchong, expressed her disappointment as at midday, her home was still experiencing water disruptions.
“We have to get water supply from a relative’s house, using large containers, and transport them home for daily use.”
Nurse Mohamad Aimirul Mohamad Noor, 28, from Wangsa Maju, said even though water supply was restored at the area around his flat two days ago, his unit still relied on the water supplied by the tanker.
“I live on the third floor and the water pressure is still low.”
Public relations officer Siti Amirah Ahmad, 26, from Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, said water supply in her house was restored last night but the pressure was still low and inconsistent. -Mkini
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