The Selangor state government and two private water contractors for the Sungai Selangor dam project are responsible for the degradation of catchment areas that caused muddy waters which in turn forced a recent water cut in the Klang Valley, a non-governmental organisation claimed today.

SOS (Save Our Sungai) Selangor spokesperson Kua Kia Soong said that Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd and Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash) must be held responsible for the state of the Sungai Selangor water and the state government be held responsible for failing to monitor the situation in the interest of consumers.

"SOS Selangor has pointed out time and again that the Selangor state government cannot be trusted to monitor the situation because they have a conflict of interest in the project through one of its subsidiaries," Kua said in a media statement today.

Many areas in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur experienced water disruption last week after the Sungai Selangor water treatment plant at Bukit Badong was shut down due to muddy waters.

Puncak Niaga had said in a statement the recent rainy spell had resulted in Sungai Selangor turning muddy, adding that deforestation and earthworks upstream from the catchment area could also have contributed to it.

Safety compromised

Kua said the Splash consortium had sidestepped serious social and environmental considerations in constructing the Sungai Selangor dam at such a rapid pace.

"At the rate of the devastation going on at the dam site, things can only get worse.

"We have further warned that the question of dam safety could be compromised because of the conflict of interest and we have asked for federal intervention particularly in soil testing at the dam site," Kua said.

He stressed that there were alternatives to the dam project and the state authorities could not justify building the dam when they do not have a responsible water conservation policy and effective water demand management.

"We urge all Malaysians who care for our 'Original peoples' to visit the dam site to see if they approve of what Splash has done to the environment where the Orang Asli have traditionally lived," urged Kua.