Possible water rationing for Penang if dry spell continues
By MANJIT KAUR
GEORGE TOWN: Water rationing and enforcing water restrictions are among the strategies that may be implemented by the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBA) Sdn Bhd if the dry spell continues.
Its corporate affairs manager K. Jeyabalan said if there was no rain by the end of April then such drastic measures would be put into place.
He said PBA was serious about the matter, as people were not heeding the advice to save water. Instead, water usage was increasing.
Jeyabalan said the details on how and when such measures would be taken would be announced at the appropriate time if the measures were enforced.
“In such times there is no need to wash your car too many times, water the garden or the lawn.
“If the law is enforced then those using water unnecessary may be even fined.
“This is just like in Sydney, Australia where the government enforces heavy water restriction,” he said when contacted at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport before he boarded a flight to Indonesia Thursday.
Jeyabalan was commenting on the current weather that had caused rivers and canals in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah to dry up, and is expected to continue until May.
According to the weatherman, this is because the El Nino phenomenon, which brings about drier than normal weather, is expected to last until then.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department said rain was not expected to fall in Perlis, Penang, Kelantan and Terengganu as well as Sabah over the next week.
Jeyabalan added currently the water level at the Air Itam, Teluk Bahang and Mengkuang dams were 75%, 82% and 94% respectively.
“The water at the three dams can last between 75 days and 240 days
“But if there is no rain beyond end April then the strategies will be put into place,” he said.
He added if the need arises cloud seeding would also be carried out during that period.
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