Melaka taps won't run dry even if there's no rain till November, says exco member

MELAKA: The Melaka government has assured the people that taps in the state will not run dry until November even if there is not a single drop of rain.

State works, infrastructure, public amenities and transport committee chairman Datuk Hameed Mytheen Kunju Basheer said he was confident of undisrupted supply for the next five months after visiting all three dams in the state as well as the Sungai Gersik water pump facility in Muar, Johor.

"We have sufficient supply that can last until November and there is no need for water rationing as anticipated due to the El Nino phenomenon, which is predicted to last until September.

"The situation in January 2020 will not recur when water rationing was implemented in stages due to the prolonged dry spell," he said after visiting his final stop at the Sungai Gersik pump house managed by state water concessionaire Syarikat Air Melaka Bhd (SAMB) on Monday (July 3).

Hameed Mytheen said facilities at the pump house, which is situated deep inside a village and surrounded by green lung, have also undergone upgrading.

"The replacement of equipment at the pump house is valued at close to RM6mil," he said.

Hameed Mytheen said the Melaka Water Regulatory Body and SAMB have also put multiple measures in place to ensure that the water level in the three dams is sufficient; in addition to channelling 160 million litres of water daily from Sungai Gersik to these dams.

"The level at the Durian Tunggal Dam is at 90% while the capacity of the Jus and Asahan dams in Jasin is at 96% and 93%, respectively," he added.

Hameed Mytheen also said construction on the RM200mil Sungai Jernih Dam here is at 10% completion and it is expected to be finished by November next year.

He said the dam will have a capacity of 13 billion litres of water and is expected to support the increase in population until 2030.

"It also meant to solve any water supply shortage in the state during dry spells," be added.

Water sources from Rembau in Negri Sembilan are expected to be channelled to the Sungai Jernih dam.

"Flow from a Sungai Rembau tributary passes through Melaka and the Sungai Jernih Dam would complement three other dams in the state to ensure a steady supply to end users," he said.