IPOH: Parts of the lake at the Taiping Lake Gardens are drying up due to the extreme weather and lack of rainfall.
Pokok Assam assemblyman Ong Seng Guan said the lake started to dry about two weeks ago.
"It had not rained for quite some time. I believe about 40% of the lake is impacted.
"The temperature had also risen to quite high, with some folk saying nearly 40 degrees Celsius," he said when contacted.
"It is quite a dire situation, as a few waterfalls and rivers near Bukit Larut have also dried up," he said.
"One such waterfall that has dried up, Ranting Waterfall, which could be seen easily with the naked eye from the town, just shows how serious it is," he added.
Ong said Taiping was known as "Rain Town" and the wettest town in Malaysia due to its frequent rainfall. It last faced a serious drought about 10 years ago.
"And in the last few years, the water levels at the lake and rivers have dropped but not as bad as they are now.
"The Taiping Municipal Council would take this opportunity to clean up the lake," he said.
"The municipal council would also clean up some of the rivers to ensure water can flow smoothly when it returns," he added.
