TAIPING: There is no significant drop in the water level of the Taiping Lake Gardens despite the ongoing hot spell, says the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT).
Its president, Mohamed Akmal Dahalan, said while there has been a slight decrease, rainfall on Sunday helped stabilise the situation.
“The dry weather is difficult to predict, but we are beginning to see a pattern in its cycle. We hope such conditions will not occur in the near future,” he said yesterday.
He said Taiping Lake had previously dried up during dry spells, but the current drop in water levels is less severe.
MetMalaysia reported on Friday that the entire state of Perlis, four districts in Kedah and one in Perak recorded a Level 2 heatwave, while 13 other areas in the peninsula were placed under Level 1 alert.
A Level 2 heatwave is declared when daily maximum temperatures range from 37°C to 40°C for at least three consecutive days, while a Level 1 heatwave is declared when temperatures range from 35°C to 37°C over the same period.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported that the prolonged hot weather has lowered the level of Beris Lake in Sik, posing challenges to small-scale tourism operators.
Resort operator Abdul Rashid Abdullah, 65, said the current hot spell was among the worst he has experienced in over 25 years of running a business in the area.
“If the hot weather continues, activities, like kayaking, will definitely be affected,” he said.
“Areas that were once underwater are now completely exposed.
“You can even see tree stumps that used to be submerged. The view looks completely different now,” he lamented.
Resident Muhammad Helmi Hashim, 42, who planted about 45 durian saplings and other cash crops six months ago, said activities relying on the lake for irrigation have been affected.
“We depend on the lake to irrigate our crops. When water levels fall, we have to move the pump daily to keep plants watered,” he said, adding that if the situation persists and the lake dries up, they may need tanker water to save their crops.
