KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The government is planning to embark on a digital mapping process to identify underground water resources nationwide, said Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.
He said Malaysia has about five billion cubic millimeters of underground water and this untapped resource is useful in times of water shortages or crisis.
According to Dr Xavier, the mapping process will start with the states of Johor, Kedah and Selangor as they have a lot of underground water.
“We will start as soon as possible, (but) we need to get the technology right first... the people with the technology now are the Japanese.
“I am planning to go to Japan next month to try to get cooperation with the Japanese government who is willing to help us,” he told reporters after attending an event here today.
Dr Xavier said the digital mapping will take at least four to five months and it is done through the aerial process.
“At the moment we are only using five per cent of our overall water resources (only using water on the surface); we are not using the remaining 95 per cent (underground water),” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Xavier said he has instructed the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) to look at possible charges against a teenager who shot a caged monkey in Sitiawan, Perak last week.
“Investigations by the police have been completed and they have submitted their papers to the Attorney General.
“I have also instructed Perhilitan to look at the case and see under which enactment they could take action,” he said. — Bernama
