Fed up with the state government's lack of response to its objections over the underground water extraction issue, the Perak Environment Association (PEA) has decided to harness people power to halt the project in Batang Padang.

NONE PEA president Abdul Rahman Said Alli ( right ) said a letter late last year seeking to discuss the project issue with Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir was ignored and a reply from the state environment department smacked of cosmetic action.

PEA had also contacted Tapah MP M Saravanan and state environment executive councillor Mah Hang Soon over this matter, the only response was silence.

Rahman said, "We have lost faith in the role of the environment department which is playing second fiddle to BN's state projects and now we will turn to people's power to stop the project.

"We will create awareness among the residents of Batang Padang district on the negative implications of the project by holding various awareness ceremah with the cooperation of various other NGOs."

Environmentally deadly project

The impacts of groundwater abstraction as noted by national consumer associations umbrella body Fomca are:

Reduction in river flow and surface water which include wetlands, lakes and springs;

  • Living organisms depending on groundwater will be affected while slowly killing off the ecosystem;

  • Intrusion of sea water through seepage to fresh water area which will also impact swamps and seaside ecosystems;

  • Soil stability will be affected and will cause sinkhole problems. Reduction or extraction of groundwater will cause drop in pore pressure for soil stability;

  • Groundwater abstraction affects oil palms and other vegetation and,

  • Overall, it is not a sustainable activity and not environment friendly.

    • The project has been awarded to Sime Darby Energy Sdn Bhd with the contract to supply 500 million litres per day (mld) of groundwater for industrial areas in Selangor and for public consumption by January 2013.

    Plaintive cry not to sell water

    It will draw water from 10 wells, each with a capacity of 50mld, covering an area of around 2,700kms.

    Rahman told a media conference at his office in Ipoh yesterday, that the BN government has not learned from the failure of the underground water project in Sarawak.

    penang to rehabilitate dead rivers sungai pinang and sungai juru 270409 03 He said there is ample surface water for public consumption in the state and there is no need to export the state's precious commodity to other states like Selangor.

    "There is a possibility of our rivers drying up and polluted water seeping into the wells, posing a danger to public health," he added.