Photo: Ronnie Chin/The Star
IPOH: The state government will set up a special committee to develop a short-term plan to tackle the water level shortage at Bukit Merah Lake, says Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
The Perak Mentri Besar said he needed to consult all the technical departments, including the Public Works Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department and the Land and Mines Office, on what could be done.
“I thank everyone for putting in their suggestions and ideas.
“But the technical teams are the best at deciding what can and cannot be done in this case,” he told reporters after a meeting of the people at the state secretariat’s banquet hall here on Wednesday (July 3).
Saarani was asked to comment on inland fishermen's suggestions for deepening the lake. The lake bed is filled with silt and mud and cannot hold much water.
“For the long-term solution, water from Sungai Perak will be channelled to Bukit Merah. The allocation from the federal government will fund it.
“There have been suggestions to deepen the lake before 2021, but due to technical issues concerning the lake bed, this plan could not proceed,” he added.
Saarani said the lake is man-made.
He also said that requests for cloud seeding to be carried out around the lake area, but it is only a temporary solution.
