Malaysia: Penang mulls need for water rationing

The Star 31 Mar 14;

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government will decide on the need for water rationing here in the light of a similar exercise in Taiping despite it being known as the town with the highest rainfall.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state executive council would meet on the matter on Wednesday after a review of the state’s water reserves.

He said he was shocked to learn that the Perak Government would ration water in Taiping for two weeks from April 3.

“Perak state Public Facilities, Infrastructure, Energy and Water Committee chairman Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin said they had to resort to water rationing for the first time in Perak due to the dwindling water supply following the prolonged dry spell,” he said.

Lim said he was disappointed that Penangites’ water consumption had continued to rise despite numerous educational programmes and imposition of water conservation surcharges as a penalty on those who waste water.

“Water consumption in Penang was the highest in Malaysia at 295 cubic litres per person per day last year. For the first two months of the year, the figure increased by 5.4% to 311 cubic litres per person per day,” he said yesterday, adding that the country was facing its worse drought in 15 years.

Lim, who is also Penang Water Supply Corporation chairman, urged users to conserve water because the state’s water consumption was nearly 50% higher than the national average of 215 cubic litres per person per day.

“Our water resources and reserves can be extended by 50% if we conserve water and use the same amount as the national average.”

Padi planting not affected by drought
New Straits Times 31 Mar 14;

ALOR STAR: The new padi planting season in Kedah and Perlis will start as scheduled as the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) has released water from the Pedu Dam to irrigate padi fields under its territory.

Mada chairman Datuk Othman Aziz said the new padi planting season in areas under the authority was not affected by the dry-spell as the Pedu Dam has ample water supply for both domestic and irrigation purposes.

Othman said water for padi planting irrigation would be released in four stages where the supply for first phase started last Wednesday.

"The water supply for padi fields located in the first batch will be fully disbursed in 10 days," he said.

He urged padi farmers to fully comply with good padi field management to ensure that they produced higher yield.

Othman also said Mada had allocated RM27 million to rehabilitate some 6,000 hectares of padi fields affected by subsidence or the sinking of land this year.

The federal government had also allocated RM36 million cash aid to 3,800 padi farmers who were affected by the problem in Kedah and Perlis.