Water rationing if dry spell continues in Perlis

(Reuters pic)

KANGAR: The water level in the Timah Tasoh Dam is currently normal and will be able to sustain supply for another four months, the Perlis Drainage and Irrigation Department said today.

However, its deputy director Mohamad Hafiz Harun said if the hot spell continues till May, water reserves could deplete severely, compelling them to ration the water supply.

“The dam was recorded at the normal level of 28.10m yesterday. For domestic consumption, the dam can supply 19.79 million cubic metres. This means the supply can last for only three to four months,” he told Bernama today.

For agriculture, he said the water supply would be adequate for one to one-and-a-half months.

“I would like to advise the public to use water prudently during the dry spell hitting the country now,” he said.

The only dam in the state was built at a cost of RM77 million and was completed in 1992 to supply water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use.

Meanwhile, Perlis Meteorological Department director Mohd Saharudi Saad said the Chuping Meteorological Station in Padang Besar recorded the highest temperature in Chuping at 36.8 degrees Celsius on Feb 8 and 22.

He said the current hot weather is expected to persist till the end of March. - FMT