Sabah dams can sustain supply for up to three months during prolonged drought

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III, Datuk Shahelmey Yahya (pic) says water supply available in Sabah dams can last for up to three months in the event of a prolonged drought.

He said that the Sabah State Water Department (JAS) would implement rationing and propose water conservation measures if drought conditions worsened.

"I have held discussions with the JAS to address the problem of water supply in Sabah due to the hot weather currently hitting the country.

"However, should we reach a critical stage, we may introduce alternatives such as cloud seeding," he told reporters after opening the state-level World Scout Day celebrations on Saturday (Feb 24).

Shahelmey, who was also Sabah Works Minister said, JAS was currently rationing water due to problems in the distribution system to ensure that all users received adequate water supply.

On Feb 23, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said relevant departments and agencies must be prepared to carry out large-scale fire fighting and cloud seeding operations in view of the current hot and dry weather and the El Nino phenomenon. - Bernama