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Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Kedah announces plan to ‘throttle’ water in Sungai Muda

FMT:

Kedah announces plan to ‘throttle’ water in Sungai Muda


The Sungai Muda flows from Kedah into Penang before spilling into the sea but the new project will see much of its water stored in Kedah. (Bernama pic)

ALOR SETAR: The Kedah government has announced a riverside water catchment project that will throttle water in the Sungai Muda river in several areas in the state, and may lead to the river drying up at its southern end in Penang.

Known as Takungan Air Pinggiran Sungai (TAPS), the project will ensure Kedah has enough water supply to see through the dry season, menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said. He said it would stabilise Sungai Muda’s water level in times of drought.

He said new barrages, or barriers, will be built to “stabilise” the river water level to ensure water concessionaire Syarikat Air Darul Aman Sdn Bhd’s pumps would not be rendered inoperable when water levels drop.

There will be 14 TAPS throughout, with depths up to 20m to 30m and up to a kilometre wide. Sanusi said TAPS will kick off sometime this year and the state government has identified several suitable contractors for the project.

“In the past, when flood mitigation projects were carried out, the river was widened further.

“This caused the water level to drop, but there was no realigning done to the pump houses along Sungai Muda which left them idle during droughts,” he told reporters after chairing the state executive council meeting at Wisma Darul Aman here today, according to Bernama.

He said that once Sungai Muda’s water level is stabilised, water flow capacity can be controlled in the future.

“Allocation for this project is from the environment and water ministry as it deals with raw water, so there is a grant. This project is not only beneficial for treated water in the state but since Kedah supplies 42% of padi for the country, so this is for agriculture as well.

Sanusi said recently that Penang may find itself using muddy water if the Penang state government continues to refuse to pay raw water charges for drawing water from Sungai Muda and the catchment plan may indeed leave Penang with a muddy Sungai Muda except in drier days.

Sanusi said his statement should not be interpreted as a threat. “I was just informing them (Penang) to be prepared as we are implementing the TAPS project.”

When Sungai Muda has a lot of water, we store, and it will be a big catchment area.

“So, Penang has to be ready for this, unless they work together with us (Kedah government) … We have to plan (earlier) to avoid them drinking muddy water. If we fail to work together and (they) do not pay raw water charges, then we will plan just for ourselves,” he said.

He said Kedah had never closed its doors on Penang for negotiations over the water supply issue, and will always welcome discussions to set the rate for raw water charges.

“We have not even shut the doors for discussions. we are more than happy to discuss the (raw water) charges. We want to supply raw water, but consider paying a little as we have maintenance costs to take care of at the catchment areas,” he said.


8 comments:

  1. It would be a major waste of money for Kedah State , which ready has a highly constrained budget.
    But Penang probably couldn't stop them, if Velfire-man insists on being Stupid.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just In Time for PAS' new BFF Gerakan to explain to Penang-ites what they will do about this Kedah move.

    Lau Sai is the Wee KHAT Siong of Gerakan, but he don't even have a place under the PAS table like Wee. Lau Sai has to stay in the doghouse outside....ha ha ha....

    PAS will send Lau Sai and Gerakan to contest all the seats in Penang in GE15, with rattling sabres on camel backs....ha ha ha...but their strategy is to starve Penang-ites of water first....ha ha ha again....but if Gerakan gets to contest in all the Penang seats then where will MCA contest.....elsewhere in Malay seats I suppose, that's why MCA is now trying to become multi-racial like DAP, desperately begging to get second class associate Malay members.....this is getting lucu-er and lucu-er...

    QUOTE
    Gerakan eyes Penang takeover in GE15
    By Dawn Chan - March 24, 2021

    KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) wants to make a comeback in the political arena by wrestling Penang from the opposition in the 15th General Election (GE15).

    Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau said Penang will be their focus state in the GE15 against the back of ensuring a Perikatan Nasional's (PN) victory in the polls.

    Lau said Penang remained close to the party's heart as it was where it was founded and deeply rooted, citing notable past leaders who rose to be the state chief ministers such as Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu and Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

    "Gerakan started in Penang, we reached our peak there but it was also where the party fell. We will make a comeback in Penang, our homeground. That is important for the party and we are focused on the state and for PN to win.

    "However, we do not want to talk about seats or candidates. We have a wishlist but we will leave it to the PN presidential council to decide. But our preparations to face the GE15 will start and we must be ready to defend people's rights and care for their wellbeing.

    "Our priority now is to ensure PN wins the GE15. This is in line with Gerakan's ideology which is to attain political stability in this country," Lau said today.
    UNQUOTE

    ReplyDelete
  3. And what will Wee KHAT Siong and MCA, the self-proclaimed protector of the Chinese say to Penang-ites....?

    Will Wee KHAT Siong and Lau Sai be taking the Penang Ferry together, hold hands, smile, take pictures and face the angry Penang-Lang....? They want to talk to you both now that you are PAS' BFF.

    I think if after GE15 PN don't win Penang they will gerrymander Penang boundaries....make the entire state one Parlimen seat and two assembly seats, or make Penang into Federal Territory like KL, that was how they took back Selangor in the 70s, by gerrymandering opposition voters into FT ghetto and putting BN-appointed Datuk Bandar and FT Minister to control them. Then Wee KHAT Siong can be Penang Minister and Lau Sai the Datuk Bandar....ha ha ha.....another backdoor move coming....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Replies
    1. Same logic as CCP dams on the upper Mekong.

      Delete
    2. 1000 + 1 lies & counting!

      Old moneyed mfer, keeps to yr know-nothing fart about China dams causing Mekong river flow volume reduction.

      Delete
    3. Be precious - katak-ised communist style!

      Delete
  5. Sign of decaying!

    Water resources dispute across state border that has never happened before suddenly becomes hot potato!

    Now in Selangor, another water interruption is going to last for 6 days across various counties!

    Scheduled maintenance!

    Never get tired of water source pollution, main supply pipe burst etc etc.

    Wakakakaka… just another rabbit out of that scammer bag of incompetence & extra money from OT works!

    ReplyDelete