.jpg "Santiago says raw water extracted from mining pools was drying out beyond the limit that was agreed on for safe drinking water. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sarah Musfirah")
KLANG, April 20 — The Klang Valley can face a water crisis in just about six weeks going by the rate its water reserves in Sungai Selangor and Semenyih are dropping, a DAP lawmaker said today.
Klang MP Charles Santiago told a press conference at his service centre here today that in 43 days, water reserves at the Sungai Selangor dam could drop below its critical level of 40 per cent.
In the beginning of March, both the Sungai Selangor and Semenyih dams had a capacity of 95.47 per cent and 93.19 per cent respectively.
However, the levels in the dams currently stand at 66.73 per cent and 70.65 per cent respectively.
“On a daily basis, the Sungai Selangor and Semenyih dams are diminishing at a rate of 0.62 per cent and 0.47 per cent,” Charles said.
Malaysia is currently experiencing prolonged dry weather due to the El Nino effect.
Charles urged the Selangor government to take proactive measures to prepare for depleting water reserves and not to wait until the situation becomes as bad as the 2014 water crisis.
“We must assume that we are in an emergency situation,” he said.
“We cannot have a repeat of 2014 when pregnant women were coming down 15 floors of stairs to collect water for cooking,” he added.
He asked the state to set up a committee on water conservation headed by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
He also said that the people must take conservation measures such as reducing washing cars and ensuring water is used only for essential needs.
“The El Nino phenomenon is predicted to continue until June, so we have to prepare,” he said.
