KANGAR: The water level at Timah Tasoh Dam, the only one in Perlis, has been at a critical level almost since the start of the year, but Mentri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah has assured that there is no cause for alarm.
He said the dam’s water reserves were still sufficient to meet domestic and agricultural needs.
“The situation is still under control and there is no need for the people to panic.
“Although the water level at Timah Tasoh Dam is at a critical level, we still have sufficient water for domestic use and agriculture at the moment.”
Intermittent rain on Tuesday had brought the dam level to 26.5m with a storage reading of 33.13% full, which is the critical level mark.
Abu Bakar said the state would continue to assess the situation and take the necessary measures if the water level continued to decline.
“We know a dry super El Nino is forecasted to happen from November.
“If the situation does not improve, we will look at the possibility of carrying out cloud seeding.
“We will seek assistance from the Federal Government if necessary,” he said.
He said the priority was to ensure that the available water resources were managed carefully while waiting for rainfall to replenish the dam.
Abu Bakar urged residents to use water wisely and avoid unnecessary wastage, adding that the state had not reached a situation requiring emergency measures.
Early this month, National Water Services Commission (SPAN) officials visited Timah Tasoh Dam.
It said in a statement that the current storage was sufficient for about 50 days without rain for some 26,000 consumer accounts.
SPAN said relevant agencies were carrying out mitigation measures to conserve raw water.
If the dam level failed to improve, it said scheduled water rationing may be needed to stretch the remaining reserves.
Completed in 1992, the Timah Tasoh Dam is built over Sungai Korok, 17km north of Kangar.
Its lake surface covers about 1,300ha at normal pool level.
