Malaysia: Four Out Of 20 Dams At Critical Level - Wan Junaidi

Bernama 23 Mar 16;

PUTRAJAYA, March 23 (Bernama) -- Water capacity at four out of 20 dams monitored by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) are at the critical level as of Monday following the current heatwave in the country.

The four dams are Kwong in Kelantan at 27.9 per cent capacity; Padang Saga in Langkawi, Kedah (38 per cent); Labong, Johor (14.3 per cent) and Timah Tasoh in Kangar, Perlis (38.8 per cent).

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the other dams recorded water levels at between 53 per cent and 100 per cent.

In another development, he said a technical meeting on coral reef monitoring would be held by the Department of Marine Parks (JLTM) soon.

"Extreme temperature increase can affect marine ecosystems especially corals because they are very sensitive to changes in their environment," he said in a statement here Wednesday.

Wan Junaidi said sudden temperature changes of two degrees Celsius for eight weeks could cause coral bleaching and death.

"If the temperature changes significantly, between one and two degrees Celsius, JLTM will hold the National Coral Reef Bleaching Technical Advisory meeting and the National Coral Reef Bleaching Response Committee meeting," he said.

The meetings will be held to coordinate the action plan, such as monitoring the marine recreational activities, disseminating information to the public especially tourists and monitoring public complaints, he said.

Meanwhile, Wan Junaidi said the ministry and other relevant agencies had been enhancing prevention efforts against open burning which could potentially cause haze.

The efforts include activating the open burning prevention action plan throughout the country starting Jan 12.

Between early this year and March 19, a total of 703 open burning cases were detected nationwide involving forest, agriculture, industry and landfill areas as well as construction sites.

Fines were imposed in 56 of the cases, 18 cases were issued notice of instruction and seven cases were issued letter of instruction.

"The investigation papers on three cases are ready for court action," he said.

In PASIR MAS, Pasir Mas DID district engineer Hanisah Che Wok said the Kwong Dam was still supplying water to agriculture areas despite the low level.

Hanisah said they were monitoring the situation closely.

In SEREMBAN, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said there were no plans for water rationing in the state as there was adequate supply even though levels at dams had dipped due to the prolonged hot and dry weather.

In IPOH, the Perak state executive councillor in charge, Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin, said the state would also not be facing any water shortage for now,

-- BERNAMA


No plans for Negri to ration water
SARBAN SINGH The Star 24 Mar 16;

SEREMBAN: Consumers in Negri Sembilan can heave a sigh of relief as the state government has deci­ded against implementing water rationing.

The news comes despite water level at one of its seven dams being below the critical mark while five others are nearing critical le­vels.

According to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, there was no need for water rationing now because the authorities were drawing most of the raw water supply from rivers.

Just last week, he had said that they were considering rationing treated water due to the falling water levels at its dams.

“We are aware that the levels at five dams are nearing critical levels but they can still supply water for another two months.

“We hope to get more rain in the catchment areas by then,” he told reporters.

Statistics from Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan showed that the water level at the Gemencheh dam had fallen to 94.97m or 0.03m below the critical level.

The water level at the Sg Terip dam was 97.69m with the critical level at 94.6m while Kelinchi was 199.7m (198.3m), Talang 144.16m (140.5m), Pedas 134.4m (131.75m) and Teriang 190.3m (190m).

The water level at the Ulu Sepri dam was 131.2m.

Mohamad said efforts were already underway to replenish the water supply at the Gemencheh dam by drawing water from Sg Jelai through a 7km pipe network.

“We will pump some 55 million litres of raw water a day to the Gemencheh dam.

“Once it is full, we will supply the treated water to residents in Tampin,” he said, adding that these residents now received their supply from the Sawah Raja plant in Rembau.

Mohamad said once this was done, the additional treated water would be supplied to consumers in Port Dickson.

He said that to replenish the supply at the Sg Terip dam, the autho­rities would also start pumping some 68 million litres of raw water from Sg Petasih.

To further replenish the water supply at the dam, the authorities will also increase the intake from the Sg Batang Penar from 23 million litres per day to 68 million litres per day depending on the water quality.

“Also, we will pump some 60 million litres of water a day from Sg Muar to replenish the supply at the Talang dam,” he added.

He said to ensure that there was sufficient supply of treated water, the state government had also recently approved applications from industries to construct tube wells to draw groundwater.

“By doing this, we have rerouted some 20% of all treated water in the state previously consumed by industries to other users,” Mohamad added.


Negri Sembilan water levels adequate: MB
TEOH PEI YING New Straits Times 23 Mar 16;

SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan will not impose water rationing for now as the water level at rivers and dams there are adequate despite the hot spell.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the meeting with Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan (Sains), Meteorological Department and other relevant agencies revealed that the dams and rivers could endure longer than the expected 30 days.

“In Negri Sembilan, we do not only take raw water from the dams to process into treated water.

We also get the water from the rivers.

“Although the water level at the dams had dropped, with some almost reaching the critical level, the rivers levels are still stable. “Sungai Terip and Gemencheh dams recorded lower water levels as water treatment plants directly get raw water from these two dams,” he told reporters after chairing the weekly state executive councillors meeting here, today.

Mohamad, however, advised members of the public to use water prudently as no one knew for sure when the hot spell would end.

It was earlier reported that Mohamad said the state government would consider imposing water rationing in two weeks, if the dry spell continues.