The state government will undertake a study on building a tunnel to channel water from Sungai Perak to Bukit Merah lake, said Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad.
He said with the tunnel, the water supply shortage problem in the paddy-growing areas of Kerian district, especially during the hot and dry season could be solved.
Saarani said the state government would also be identifying the best method of implementing the project which was proposed by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage.
“We’ll see when it can be implemented as it will take time and we need to see whether Sungai Perak has enough water (to supply to the Kerian district).
“We cannot take water from the hydroelectric dam as it would interfere with its power-generating turbine,” he said at a news conference after the Menteri Besar-with-Rakyat (Mesra) programme at Dewan Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin, Bagan Serai today.
In 2016, former Perak menteri besar Zambry Abd Kadir had suggested the same water-channelling project from Sungai Perak to Bukit Merah lake that required an allocation of RM300 million.
Saarani said farmers in the Kerian district had been complaining about the water shortage problem during the dry season that would affect their paddy output as part of the water from Bukit Merah lake would also be used by other areas.
The Kerian district is the state’s rice bowl with over 20,000ha under paddy.
Meanwhile, when asked about the state exco meeting held at the Kerian District Office this morning, Saarani said among the matters discussed were delays in building the Parit Buntar Hospital and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pelangi Perdana due to the contractors’ failures.
“The state government cannot intervene as these two projects are under the Health Ministry and Education Ministry respectively,” he added.
On the Mesra programme, he said it managed to solve many cases involving problems faced by the people including inherited land issues.
- Bernama
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