Malaysia: ‘We don’t have enough raw water’

loshana shagar AND patrick lee The Star 7 Aug 14;

PETALING JAYA: A second water rationing exercise for Selangor has become necessary as the state government cannot rely on the usual intermonsoon rainfall expected in September, said the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer).

President S. Piarapakaran des­cribed the state government’s meeting today to decide on whether water rationing should be implemented for the second time this year as better late than never.

“It is a pretty straightforward situation.

“We clearly do not have enough raw water to supply to the four major treatment plants that produce water for about 60% of consumers in the state.

“It is also unwise to rely on the rains during the intermonsoon period next month because we cannot say for sure if there will be a stable rainfall pattern or if the rainfall amount will be high,” he said when contacted.

Malaysian Water Association president Syed Mohamad Alhabshi said the water industry had expected to see such problems occur here after the delay of the Langat 2 water treatment plant.

“Why have we allowed ourselves to be in this situation? We saw this coming four years ago,” he said, when met by The Star.

He said those who advised the state previously that there had been enough water would “get away scot-free”.

Syed Mohamad also warned that the rationing might continue again next year and after that, until the Langat 2 plant was completed.

“It will be a yearly event,” he said.

Many consumers in the state were subjected to water rationing between February and March this year when the Sungai Selangor dam, which supplies water to over 60% of households, dropped to near critical levels.

When the last rationing exercise was imposed between February and March, the level at the Sungai Selangor dam was 37%. It is now 32%.

However, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had repeatedly assured Selangor consumers that there would be no water rationing yet. He added that there was enough raw water to last for the next few years.

Klang API reaches unhealthy level
The Star 7 Aug 14;

PUTRAJAYA: Air quality in Port Klang hit the “unhealthy” level yesterday when the Air Pollutant Index (API) reached 115.

The air quality in Sungai Petani and Sri Aman, however, recorded an improvement from API readings of 106 and 117 respectively on Tuesday to a moderate 63 and 74 yesterday.

Other places with moderate API included Seri Manjung (67), Tanjung Malim (61) Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (63) and Cheras (62). Petaling Jaya and Perai saw readings of 58.

Natural Resources and Environ­ment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said satellite imagery by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admini­stration detected 32 hotspots in Sumatra and 48 in Kalimantan on Tuesday.

He said there were also 15 hotspots detected in the country with Pahang having eight followed by Sarawak (three), Selangor (two) and one each in Sabah and Negri Sembilan.

On instances of open burning this year, he said there had been 4,431 cases locally since January.

“Of this, 903 are in forested areas, 1,436 on agricultural land and 1,014 in bush areas.

“Others are 833 cases of small open burning incidents, 137 in construction areas, 870 at dump sites and 34 in industrial areas,” he said.

Palanivel said 45 investigation papers were opened and compound notices sent to those involved in 324 open burning cases while warning notices were sent out in 115 other cases.