PETALING JAYA, March 3 ― As residents cope with water rationing due to the depleted reserves in dams, due to the lack of rainfall since the beginning of the year, they also have to deal with poor air quality and the continuing rise of dengue.

Some 2.2 million consumers in the Klang Valley were affected by the month-long water rationing exercise which started yesterday while the Department of Environment recorded unhealthy air pollutant index (API) readings in Klang, Nilai and Putrajaya.

There were also concerns that water storage containers could subsequently turn into breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The nation recorded 38 deaths in the first two months of the year — 30 more than during the same period last year.

Temperatures, too, have risen to a high of 34 degrees Celsius and rain is only expected to fall in the middle of this month. However, several parts of the Klang Valley experienced rain yesterday.

K. Sekaran of Damansara Heights said he valued the importance of water after having to deal with the heat, water shortage and haze.

“I had to bathe with a five-litre bottle drinking water and I had to send my mother to a relative's home in KL for her to take a shower,” said Sekaran, 36.

“The haze really irritates my eyes. Before this, I would usually wash them with the water from my house pipes but now I have to use the drinking water I purchased.”

Joseph Yeo Seh Weng, 24, a salesman from Setapak, said his health has deteriorated due to the haze.

“My work requires me to travel a lot, and I am suffering from chest pains and bad cough due to the weather.”

Wedding planner M. Rajesh, 32, from Damansara Utama, said she had spent close to RM600 on water storage containers.

“My husband and I travelled all over Kuala Lumpur to search for the containers and water bottles because the stores located in our neighbourhood ran out of stock or were too expensive,” said Rajesh.

She said in light of the recent dengue outbreak she made sure she closed the lids of the water storage containers in her home.

Many people also claimed traders had marked up the prices of plastic water containers, while some have resorted to installing another water tank in their homes to ensure they had enough water reserves to take them through the rationing period.

Some have also purchase face masks to protect themselves from the haze, while others have volunteered to be part of the “Jom Hapus” programme to combat the dengue menace.