ALOR SETAR: Cars parked under a bridge tell the shocking story of how drastically Beris Dam’s water level has receded.
As the highwater mark on the pillars indicate, the water level is normally three cars high, and the only way to get under the bridge that crosses the lake is by boat.
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Since Saturday, storage at Beris Dam – one of three major dams feeding the vital Sungai Muda system – has fallen to 49.7%, less than half its capacity.
The situation has become increasingly critical as Muda Dam, which now stands at just 8.22% capacity, can no longer release water into Sungai Muda due to its severely depleted levels.
According to data from the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), Muda Dam has been at a warning level since the end of January.
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The other dam feeding the river is Ahning Dam.
Beris Dam, which was completed in 2004, has a capacity of about 122 million cubic metres – roughly four-fifths the size of Muda Dam, which can hold about 160 million cubic metres.
The dams form part of the wider Sungai Muda catchment, a crucial raw water source for Kedah and Penang, supplying domestic, industrial and irrigation needs downstream while helping regulate river flow during dry periods.
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Storage at Ahning Dam, the largest of the three with a storage capacity of about 275 million cubic metres, currently stands at 51.47%.
It was last full in December 2024, with levels gradually declining since then.
The worsening water shortage comes as the padi planting season begins, with farmers already feeling the impact.
Some have delayed planting due to insufficient water flow from Sungai Muda, raising concerns that any further delay could push harvesting into the rainy season and affect both yield and grain quality.
So far, there has been little sign of the usual inter-monsoon rains needed to replenish the dam.
The situation may worsen further, with meteorological models earlier predicting a strong El Nino weather phenomenon that could bring prolonged dry conditions to South-East Asia until August at least.
According to Bernama, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) to expedite cloud seeding operations in states currently at critical levels, particularly Kedah and Perlis.
