Selangor govt identifying new water sources

Amirudin (seventh from left) with stakeholders at the Selangor Master Plan and Water Resource Sustainability Forum.

SELANGOR is constantly looking for new water resources to meet increased demand from consumers.

Suitable sites are being identified and the state government will also curb development in such spots.

“We have started addressing water shortage issues by finding new resources,” said Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari at the launch of the Selangor Master Plan and Water Resource Sustainability Forum in Subang Jaya.

He said the state government welcomed feedback from stakeholders, and was glad there were representatives from universities as well as public and private agencies to formulate the master plan.

Amirudin said between 2016 and 2020, RM1.5bil will be used to ensure a constant supply of clean water in the state.

To date, the state government  spent RM800mil for the Semenyih 2 water treatment plant in Dengkil and the Labohan Dagang water treatment plant in Banting.

Both projects are part of Selangor’s efforts to increase water reserves by 15%.

Semenyih 2 and the Labohan Dagang will ensure there is sufficient supply of treated water to parts of Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur.

“In 2014, we had a water crisis, so I hope people will start conserving water instead of wasting it unnecessarily.”

Amirudin said in Singapore, an average household uses 170 litres of water a day while in Thailand it was just 90 litres, but Malaysians use up to 250 litres daily.

“Caring for our rivers is equally important as they are the main source of water.

“People should stop throwing rubbish into the river,” he said.

Also present at the one-day forum in Holiday Villa Subang were state Local Government, Public Transport and New Village Development Committee chairman Ng Sze Han, Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Modernisation

of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Committee chairman Izham Hashim and State Secretary Datuk Mohd Amin Ahmad Ahya.