PETRA JAYA – Four water supply plants in Sarawak have stopped operations following the prolonged hot and dry weather, as state authorities step up efforts to deliver water to areas facing supply disruptions.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the affected plants were Spaoh, Lingga, Simunjan and Lichok.
He, who is also the chairman of the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), said the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) was currently using 98 tankers to deliver supplies to residents in areas experiencing water shortages.
According to him, a total of 680 tanker trips were made between August 18 and 29 to deliver more than 3.3 million litres of water to five divisions in Sarawak.
The areas receiving the deliveries were Betong, Samarahan, Limbang, Sri Aman and Miri.
Uggah said the prolonged hot and dry weather conditions had put pressure on water resources, including causing dam and reservoir levels in several locations to continue to decline.
JBALB has also presented a mechanism to enhance operational capabilities in dealing with water supply disruptions. According to Uggah, the state government also needs additional allocations to procure the necessary equipment to strengthen the response capacity.
He said the measures being implemented show that the state government and JBALB continue to monitor the situation and take action based on the needs in the affected areas.
âIt is unfair for anyone to say we are not doing anything. It is unfair to blame JBALB for sleeping. JBALB is not sleeping. The GPS government is not sleeping. We are monitoring the situation and taking action,â he said.
In a related development, the Sarawak government is planning to conduct a cloud seeding operation between September 3 and 5, subject to suitable weather conditions based on the forecast of the Malaysian Meteorological Department.
Uggah explained that cloud seeding requires the existence of sufficient clouds and cannot be carried out if atmospheric conditions do not permit.
The operation is not only seen as one of the measures to deal with the dry conditions but also focuses on water resources that are important for the stateâs needs.
The Bakun Dam will be given priority in the cloud seeding operation, as the facility is the main source of Sarawakâs electricity generation, said Uggah.
After that, the focus will be on reservoirs that are recording low levels before operations are expanded to other areas if conditions permit.
âThe priority is Bakun Dam because that is our source of electricity. After that, we go to reservoirs that are already very low, and then we move to other places,â he said.
The plan was made as Sarawak faces a period of hot and dry weather that has also affected the water supply situation in several areas.
The state government has previously also mobilized various agencies to assist communities facing water supply stress. Delivery using tanker trucks is among the measures used while the water source situation is monitored and operational solutions are put in place.
The delivery of more than 3.3 million litres of water in 12 days shows the scale of logistical support needed to ensure that residents in affected areas continue to receive basic supplies.
The situation in each area, however, depends on the level of local water sources, plant capacity and weather developments. Therefore, monitoring of reservoirs, dams and supply systems will continue throughout the dry period.
Uggah said the state government would continue to assess the water supply situation and take the necessary steps to meet the needs of residents in the affected areas.
