Volunteer firemen earn praise for offering help during water cuts

 

Members of a volunteer fire brigade in Penang bringing a water tank for use by residents of Balik Pulau during the water supply shutdown next week. (Facebook pic)

GEORGE TOWN: Members of Penang’s 35 volunteer fire brigades were thanked by the chief minister today for offering to assist Penangites on the frontlines when the scheduled water cuts begin on Jan 10.

“The majority of our volunteers have full-time jobs, yet with a high humanitarian spirit, they are willing to sacrifice their leisure time to serve the public,” said Chow Kon Yeow at the soft launch of a multipurpose fire engine in Balik Pulau this evening.

Chow also allocated RM20,000 to assist the Kuala Sungai Pinang brigade in acquiring a 900-litre Japanese tanker engine, a 4,500-litre multipurpose truck, and a 4×4 Ford Ranger with a 1,000-litre capacity.

Separately, the state-owned Buletin Mutiara reported that the chief minister’s office would supply 12 water tanks to Balik Pulau residents for use during the water cuts. Each tank has a capacity of 500 gallons of water.

Chow said the scheduled water cut could be considered an “emergency situation” for Penang.

Penang will face its largest ever scheduled water cut from Jan 10 to Jan 14, affecting around 590,000 water users in the state. This is to allow for long-delayed valve replacement work at the Sungai Dua water treatment plant and repairs to the main pipeline.

Water supply is expected to resume within 48 hours in areas closest to the treatment plant, while supply in other areas may be restored 72 to 96 hours later. - FMT