Long dry spell caused water shortage in Sri Aman: Uggah

The unprecedented water supply disruption affecting the entire town of Sri Aman is due to the extended period of drought in the state.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister, Douglas Uggah Embas (above) said the water supply disruption may go until the end of the month as forecasted by the Meteorological Department. 

“It has been two months since the state is experiencing hot weather which is usually only in September before it started to cool with rain in October.

"Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department and other departments are taking short term measures to meet water supply demand in Sri Aman and to look at long term solutions for the problem,” Douglas Uggah, who is also the State Disaster Management Committee chairman, told reporters in Kuching today.

He was attending a 2019 first phase aid presentation of the Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) to build and repair non-Muslim houses of worship worth RM16.35 million.

Sri Aman resident Indit Bangai said about 1,000 people were facing water supply shortage while the Sri Aman Rural Water Supply Department engineer Adzahari Baini said 8 out of 10 water treatment plants in Sri Aman are facing low water pressure.

Meanwhile, in Melaka, treated water supply in the state dropped 13.9 percent causing more areas in the state to suffer water supply disruption, said Chief Minister Adly Zahari.

Adly (above) said total demand in the state was 639 million litres per day while Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad could only provide 550 million liters daily as the water level at the reservoirs has fallen drastically.

 "The Jus Reservoir in Jasin which has a capacity of 45,000 million litres, has 19,315 million litres; the Durian Tunggal Reservoir in Alor Gajah (32,600 million litre/ 6,620 million litres and the Asahan Reservoir in Jasin (700 million litres/225 million litres)," he said.

“There are now 22 areas with water supply woes with 17 in Melaka Tengah, three in Jasin and two in Alor Gajah while 26 tanker lorries are delivering water to residents in the affected areas,” he added.

- Bernama