Julia Chan, New Straits Times 20 Feb 10;
KOTA KINABALU: The severe drought in the state has been blamed for the loss of 1,300ha of forest reserve land in the past two weeks.
Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said the worst hit area was the Binsuluk Forest Reserve in the west coast of Beaufort, where fire razed 100ha of forests.
It is believed that open burning and land-clearing activities nearby were the cause of the forest fire.
A local daily reported that 5,000ha of private land in the west coast also caught fire.
Other locations that caught fire were the Sabah Forest Industries's plantation (90ha) in Sipitang, with losses estimated at more than RM500,000; the Bukit Hampuan forest reserve (20ha) in Ranau and the Melawaring forest reserve (4ha).
More than 80 personnel from the department and the Fire and Rescue Department have been deployed to combat the fires.
Sam urged all plantation owners and holders of the Sustainable Forest Management licensee agreement to upgrade their fire prevention methods and control capabilities.
He also urged them to seal all entry points into the forests to prevent illegal entry.
In the west coast, 15 families were evacuated from their homes in Bukit Sim Sim after a forest fire broke out on Wednesday.
All of them were evacuated to a nearby community.
Meanwhile, the state Water Department said supply was not affected.
"We are monitoring the water levels regularly to ensure that there will be no shortage.
"At the current rate, we should be able to operate normally for at least a few more months," said a department spokesperson.
Sabah Meteorological Department director Abdul Malek Tusin said on Tuesday the weather was a mild El Nino phenomenon, which started in the middle of last year and was predicted to last until April.
He said the current El Nino would not bring a prolonged drought similar to what the state experienced in 1983 and 1997.
He also said rainfall was below normal but that the situation was expected to improve in the next couple of months.Extreme weather: Look for alternative sources now, says expert
New Straits Times 20 Feb 10;
KUALA LUMPUR: Whenever a water crisis occurs, Malaysians tend to use more water than necessary, often a result of panic.
In such a situation, it was imperative for consumers to understand the importance of conserving water and using it more efficiently, said Mohmad Asari Daud, the Council for Water and Green Technology Professionals (Proatek) secretary-general yesterday.
He said the current water issues could become a problem if temperatures continued to rise and the taps slowly ran dry.
Asari said the changing weather patterns and growing demand for water, combined with persistent intrusion into catchment areas and pollution, were key factors that impacted supply.
The country, he added, was too dependent on surface water, making Malaysia more susceptible to a crisis whenever drought occurred.
"Water operators must keep the public informed on the situation and provide sound advice on water conservation. The public needs to be updated regularly, not only on the quality of water but also its quantity.
"Experience and knowledge are essential for operators to utilise their resources effectively in order to minimise impact."
Asari added that the right technology could be utilised to manage the water problems efficiently and promptly.
Proatek is a non-governmental organisation made up of water and green-technology industry professionals.
It provides a platform for experts, professionals and opinion leaders in the industry to compare notes, share ideas, network and learn while promoting industry best practices in Malaysia.
Asari also said rivers must be protected so that they could continue to be a reliable source of water.
"And yet, rivers are often in a deplorable state due to lack of care. Building dams can augment water-storage capacity during a dry spell but dams also dry out if the drought is prolonged."
The time is ripe for industry professionals to put their heads together to explore viable sources of water.
"One alternative is rainwater harvesting, which essentially means the gathering and storing of rainwater from roofs of houses or from specially prepared areas.
"Another alternative is groundwater, which can play a significant role in supplementing water supply and reduce the impact of drought."
He added that groundwater offered a more sustainable source of water but only if the extraction process was efficiently done.
"Climate change may be just a buzzword to some but it is real. Droughts and floods are getting more extreme. So, all parties must act in concert."
Extreme weather: Surge in demand for drinking water
New Straits Times 20 Feb 10;
KUALA LUMPUR: The prolonged dry spell has sent the demand for drinking water soaring.
Suppliers and companies operating in the Klang Valley have reported a jump in sales in the past few weeks.
Engkateswara Rao, 42, who supplies drinking water to offices and companies in the Klang Valley, said his company had received numerous orders lately.
He believed that this could be due to the weather.
"The demand from factories and manufacturing plants has increased tremendously, probably due to the heat wave," Rao told the New Straits Times yesterday.
"We can't cope with the demand."
An executive of a myNews.com convenience store said the dry and humid days had prompted more people to buy bottled drinks.
"Most of our outlets have reported an increase in sales since last month.
"Besides drinking water, isotonic drinks are also selling fast as our customers want quick relief in this hot weather."
However, drinking water is also more popular than bottled mineral water.
"Many people have switched to drinking water because it is cheaper than mineral water," said a water wholesaler who declined to be named.
Extreme weather: Situation improving at Sembrong Timur plant
New Straits Times 20 Feb 10;
KLUANG: The water level at the Sembrong Timur water processing plant here went up yesterday due to a burst of rain on Thursday afternoon.
The water processing plant, which feeds water to most of the Kluang district, saw a 0.2m increase in water level.
Johor's water management company, SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd, is hopeful that the situation would improve.
Its corporate communications head, Jamaluddin Jamil, said even though the number was small, it was still good news as in previous days, the water level was below the 0.1m mark.
"However, I remind Kluang residents to conserve water until the processing plant in Sembrong Timur reaches normal operating levels."
Jamaluddin said the month-long water rationing exercise, which was due to end early next month, would still be carried out within the district.
He added that the 19 water tankers would be mobilised to the remote areas of Chamek, Nyior and Paloh, where residents faced the worst water shortage in the district.
On Tuesday, the New Straits Times reported that the water supply at the Sembrong Timur plant had reached the critical level of 10 millilitres per day (mlpd), down from the normal level of 20mlpd.
About 50,000 people were affected and the situation was made worst by the ongoing Chinese New Year celebrations.
It is learnt that with the brief rainfall, full water production can reach 19mlpd within the next few days.
On the overall situation in neighbouring districts, Jamaluddin said the situation was normal, especially at the Sembrong Barat water processing plant.
Jamaluddin said SAJ Holdings had also recorded fewer complaints due to better awareness among Kluang residents.
"I urge the residents to be patient as we (SAJ Holdings) are doing all we can to ease the water shortage," he said.
