Selangor Barisan Nasional coordinator Mohd Zin Mohamed said Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s failure to give full cooperation to the federal government to resolve the problem of insufficient water reserves in Selangor resulted in water rationing reported to have started in several parts of the Klang Valley.

He said the PKR-led Selangor government should give its approval for the construction of the Langat 2 water treatment plant as the water rationing exercise was just a short-term solution to overcome the water supply shortage.

“In this case, Syabas has no choice but to undertake water rationing to overcome water supply interruptions due to the low reserve capacity in Selangor.

NONE “So, he (Abdul Khalid) should not deviate from the core issue and deceive the people of Selangor by saying that there is still sufficient water supply,” he told reporters after officially opening the new building of the community-based rehabilitation centre (PDK) at Bukit Changgang, near Banting today.

Mohd Zin said water shortages would occur unless the state government increased the treated water reserve to the industry’s standard of 20 percent, or a more comfortable buffer of 10 percent.

“It is important to have an adequate buffer to cushion off any supply fluctuation during hot spells,” he said.  

Mohd Zin said this when responding to the statement made by Syabas chief executive officer Ruslan Hassan that Syabas would seek permission to start rationing immediately in Kuala Lumpur, Hulu Langat and Klang because of the worsening water supply shortage.

Ruslan was reported as saying that Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya were now facing a water crisis with reserve levels at 34 treatment plants down to an average of two percent, way below the “safe mark” of at least 20 percent.

Mohd Zin said more than 30 percent of the calls handled by Barisan Nasional People’s Service Centre hotline (Pakar) were mainly on water issues which was besetting the people residing in hilly areas.   

The PDK, which houses 32 diabled people ranging from the age of three months to 40 years, began operations in 2003 with an initial allocation of RM100,000.

At the function, Mohd Zin, who is Sepang Member of Parliament, announced an allocation of RM50,000 to the PDK to undertake extension works.

- Bernama

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