Perak to conduct cloud seeding to shore up Bukit Merah dam

The Perak government will conduct cloud seeding to address the receding water levels at the Bukit Merah Dam in Bagan Serai.

Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad said the state executive council was informed of the dam’s situation by Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairperson Razman Zakaria two weeks ago.

"We have requested the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry to do a cloud seeding project to supply rainwater to the water reservoir in the area," he said when met by reporters during the menteri besar’s Meet-the-People (Mesra) programme for the Larut, Matang and Selama District in Changkat Jering in Bukit Gantang on May 30.

He said the state government would try to provide the necessary allocation for the cloud-seeding process to help farmers in the area.

Saarani also urged the farmers involved to be aware of the dam's water-level drop which usually occurred every year and avoid wastage.

Bukit Merah dam

Water tunnel

Asked about the progress of the construction of a water tunnel from Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah reservoir to overcome the lack of water supply during the dry season, Saarani said the state government was still studying the costs of the long-term project.

Recently, the Kerian Irrigation and Drainage Department through its Facebook page informed that the irrigation water supply will be stopped in stages once the water level of the Bukit Merah reservoir dipped below 6.096m.

According to the post, the priority of the water supply will be for the treatment of raw water by the water treatment plants at Gunung Semanggol and Jalan Baru, Parit Buntar.

Earlier, Saarani said the Mesra programme conducted in each district would take into account the views and needs of the people of the state before launching the Perak Sejahtera Plan 2030 on June 15.

He said through the Mesra programme, various problems of the people were overcome, including the approval of an RM500,000 allocation to address the flood problems in Kampung Padang Bola and Kampung Paya.

- Bernama