Industry players adapting to dry spells

Feeling the heat: A padi farmer working on his field. Rice farmers in the northern region are facing high temperatures. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Industry players have put in place measures to mitigate the possibility of water shortages during the dry spell, says Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai.

He said most industries, especially in the Klang Valley, have invested in having their own water treatment plants as well as deep wells in case of water disruptions.

“The industry players also recycled used water to be utilised for certain processes or products that do not require high water quality standards provided by the water service provider.

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“Some industries, where feasible, have also increased the water storage tank capacity to provide a sufficient buffer of up to two and a half days of factory operations in the event of water supply disruption,” he said yesterday.

He said stakeholder briefings keep industry players aware of the action plans in place, especially in terms of getting alternative supply by mobilising water tankers from agencies or water operators in other states to the states facing water crisis.

In addition to that, Soh said the “war room” set up by the National Water Services Commission to supervise and ensure the sustainability of water supply services in the peninsula and Labuan during the El Nino phenomenon in June last year, should be continued as threats from climate change are here to stay.

He also reiterated his call to the relevant authorities to effectively communicate with industry players of any water shortage or rationing that needed to be implemented, two to three weeks prior.

Consortium Inbound Tourism Alliance executive chairman Uzaidi Udanis said a crisis centre for tourism players to refer to should be established to prevent any losses potentially faced by domestic tourists looking to take a break during the dry season.

He said crisis centres similar to the ones established during the Covid-19 movement control order enabled tourism players to be informed of possible prolonged dry spells that could affect the supply of water.

“Nowadays, tourists are well-informed as long as we provide them with enough information to prepare but the information must be shared with us beforehand and not when it is already happening,” he said.

SME Association of Malaysia president Ding Hong Sing also called for a long-term solution as the dry spell is becoming a regular occurrence in the country.

“Our neighbouring countries have solutions to address water shortages, perhaps we should seek their expertise to find better alternatives whenever we face extreme dry weather conditions,” he added.