GEORGE TOWN, Nov 17 – Federal Government must ensure that the reported one year delay in the Mengkuang Dam project does not compromise water supply in the State of Penang during prolonged or severe dry spells. PBAPP chairman YAB Lim Guan Eng said Penang had been looking forward to the completion of RM1.2 billion Mengkuang DamExpansion Project (MDEP).
The MDEP is funded by the Federal Government, and is being implemented by the Water Supply Department of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA). The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chairman said the original scheduled date of completion was July 31, 2016, now that the project completion had been delayed for a year.
In aditional, he said the raw water guarantee should also be extended to at least two years, taking into account the additional one year of defects and liability period Therefore, the Penang biggest Mengkuang Dam Project reportedly will be delayed till mid-2017.
“Before it was expended, the Mengkuang Dam served as Penang’s biggest strategic drought reserve. Raw water is drawn and stored in this dam during wet season. During dry season, the damn’s reserves would be drawn down to meet raw water shortfalls,” he said.
“In early 2014, Penang State Government had agreed to lower the levels of the Mengkuang Dam to facilities the construction of the MDEP, as requested by KeTTHA. In return, we obtain a written raw water guarantee from KeTTHA,” said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
“It states that KeTTHA would ensure that the raw water from Kedah would be released into Sungai Muda during dry season whenever there is a shortfall of raw water for Penang, during the construction and defects liability period of the MDEP. Moreover, any and all costs for the release of the water from Kedah would be borne by KeTTHA,” he said.
“This raw water guarantee must now be extended to accommodate the delay in the MDEP including the defects liability period. Due to this project delay, the guarantee must be extended. We must remember that in 2014 and 2015, there were incidences of water rationing in several other state including Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan and Johor due to climate change,” he said.
“Even Taiping, the wettest town in Malaysia, experienced rationing. In Penang, we did not suffer water rationing because of 3 key reasons: Water demand management by trying to reduce water consumption. PBAPP was able to manage supply effectively, and there was sufficient raw water to draw from Sungai Muda,” he said.
Lim said Penang and its people should not be made to suffer any future risks of water cries or rationing due to the delay of the MDEP. Meanwhile, he said there was 1.645 million Penangites depend on a consistent supply of potable water daily to support their lives and livelihoods.
