The government has not given approval to Sime Darby Berhad for commercial extraction of underground water in Batang Padang, Perak, because studies are ongoing on the long-term adverse impact of the project, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Joseph Kurup said the government had only allowed Sime Darby to undertake exploratory work to determine the potential for commercial extraction of underground water in the area.

He said the government was scrutinising the various proposals made by the company to ensure that it adhered to 23 conditions so that the project did not adversely affect the land structure.

"Sime Darby has to submit details on the technical study, including the impact on the environment there, as well as on the environmental control measures before any approval can be given," he said when replying to a supplementary question, from Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (PAS-Kota Raja).

Siti Mariah had wanted to know the status of the underground water development project there and whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been done.

The merits of underground water

Kurup said Sime Darby would have to ensure, among other things, that there was a specific system to monitor the underground water level, sedimentation, water quality and impact on the environment.

The move to look into underground water as an alternative source of water is in view of the uncertainty in the weather pattern and to ensure that the country had sufficient supply of water.

"Underground water can help supplement surface water in times of shortage during emergencies and fires and to meet the need at times of any threat to security," he said.

He also said that many other countries had been using underground water for hundreds of years, among them Australia, China, India, Thailand and the United States.

- Bernama