SEREMBAN, March 2 — The Negri Sembilan government has allocated RM25 million to address treated water supply issues in Port Dickson immediately due to the frequency of water supply disruptions around the district, Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said.

Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan Sdn Bhd (SAINS) was planning to install a new 10-kilometre (km) pipeline from Teluk Kemang reservoir to Si Rusa reservoir at a cost of RM15 million and the project was expected to be completed in June 2023 while the estimated cost of replacing the ‘Raked Screen’ at the Sungai Linggi Water Treatment Plant (WTP) was RM5 million, he said.

"Besides that, the replacement of the electrical switchboard panel at the plant costs RM3 million as well as RM2 million to replace four old and damaged housing tanks. The project is expected to be completed in March 2023,” he said after chairing the state executive councillors meeting at Wisma Negri here, today.

He said the treated water supply problems were caused by the closure of the Sungai Linggi WTP as the river water got too murky whenever there were heavy downpours around Seremban, causing the plant to be unable to process raw water from the river.

Meanwhile, Aminuddin said the investigation report by the state Water Regulatory Authority on January 30, February 15 and February 17 found that the highlands that collapsed due to floods that hit the state at the end of last year were still unstable.

"When there is heavy rain in the highlands, the remnants of the landslide are carried by rainwater and flow into a nearby river and then into Sungai Linggi,” he said.

He said the highland areas involved included the Gunung Berembun and Bukit Tangga areas encompassing Sungai Golai, Sungai Batang Penar, Sungai Jerlang and Sungai Terip, which then merged into Sungai Linggi.

He said his office would take short-term measures, including increasing the frequency of enforcement patrols in the areas around Sungai Linggi and other rivers that are highly likely to contribute to water turbidity in Sungai Linggi.

"We will also take appropriate action in accordance with the Water Act 1920 if a sand dredging permit holder or other party causes the pollution,” he said.

As a long-term measure, Aminuddin said his office planned to build a sediment reservoir structure in the upper reaches of Sungai Gunung Berembun to reduce the high rate of sediment flowing into Sungai Linggi and further action for this plan was being followed by water regulatory authority. — Bernama