Photo: Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: An additional RM110mil may be needed to resolve water woes in Langkawi, the Dewan Rakyat heard.
Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said this is because of leaks in underwater pipes supplying treated water to the island.
It is also in addition to the RM50mil previously allocated through loans to resolve water matters there, he added during Question Time on Monday (July 15).
“The leaking is much worse than in previous years. We have asked the Kedah state government to hasten repairs where possible (using) the available allocations.
“However, an additional RM110mil may be needed and the Federal Government is considering... loans,” he added.
Akmal Nasrullah said up to 7km of the 35km of underwater piping from the Sungai Baru water treatment plant to Langkawi could be experiencing leaks.
As a short-term measure, he said a project to increase raw water supply from the Padang MatSirat Bunded Storage to the Malut Dam was completed in May, allowing an additional 20 million litres of raw water to be supplied daily.
“The National Water Services Commission (SPAN) has also asked Kedah’s water operator Syarikat Air Darul Aman to present mitigation plans,” he said.
Akmal Nasrullah added that RM16.3mil had been allocated under the National Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Programme to tackle the issue.
“Through this, Langkawi can be expected to reduce up to 10 million litres of NRW daily once the project is completed in August,” he said.
Akmal Nasrullah was responding to questions by Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani) who asked about steps taken to mitigate water woes in Langkawi.
Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah (PN-Langkawi) had asked about plans to replace the current underwater pipes.
“They have already been there for 27 years with some leaks. Does the government plan to assist Syarikat Air Darul Aman in changing the cables completely?” he asked.
Akmal Nasrullah reiterated that the ministry was looking at avenues to provide more allocations through loans.
“However, we also ask that the state government looks at this matter seriously. I also urge you to voice these concerns to the state government," he told Suhaimi.
