MELAKA, Jan 26 — Updates of information on the status and rationing of water supply must be carried out effectively to ensure that all parties understand that water rationing is to balance water supply.
Chief Minister Adly Zahari said the people must understand that water rationing would ensure that the state had sufficient water until the end of March. In order to effectively disseminate information, it had mobilised various machineries to the grassroots level.
“Currently, SAMB (Syarikat Air Melaka Water Berhad) is providing daily updates and how supply is being channelled and where the disrupted areas are.
“The MPKK (Rural Community Management Council) has been briefed on this matter. We have also communicated with all residents, MPKK and authorities,” he told Bernama.
On Thursday, Adly was reported to have said that Melaka would conduct daily water supply rationing starting Wednesday (January 29) involving 550,673 people, which is 62.8 per cent of the state’s population.
Adly was quoted as saying that it would ensure sufficient water supply to withstand hot and dry weather in the second phase of the Northeast Monsoon which is expected to end March, but the rationing does not involve hospitals, industrial areas and tourism centres.
Apart from the MPKK, Adly also said that SAMB also placed an officer in each state assembly to receive and resolve complaints of water supply issues from the people as well as establishing 132 one-stop centres in the rationing area to provide better water supply services.
“SAMB has met with all the parties concerned with water woes such as industries, schools and so on. We want to give the best service possible. At the end of the day, it is about ensuring the people getting their water supply,” he said.
Asked on a long-term solution that would resolve the water issues in Melaka, he said the Jernih Dam in Alor Gajah near here needed to be completed immediately, and the failure to complete the dam in 2018 had led to the current sityation.
“We are behind schedule with regards to the Jernih Dam. It has been completed. The project was approved last year and is now in the tender process. When the off-river storage in Tasik Biru, Jasin is completed in 2024 we can start pumping water from there. All these are crucial,” he said.
Adly’s sentiments were shared by locals who wanted the completion of Jernih Dam to be expedited.
Tour agency marketing officer, K.Praveena, 27 from Duyong said giving updates on water issues in advance was of utmost importance so that the people could make early preparations, like storing enough water for themselves.
Hardware shop owner, Adrian Lum, 33 said early reminders would not have put the people in a state of panic in the face of water rationing.
“For example, if the announcement on the rationing of water was made last Thursday (January 23) for Wednesday (January 29), the people would have had a week to prepare. On my part, I would have enough time to stock up my supplies of pails and water drums,” he said. — Bernama
