Two million residents in the Klang Valley and Putrajaya may face a critical supply of clean water if the hot weather persists for three more weeks.

    

Deputy Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the levels at Sungai Selangor and Klang Gate Dams are at below 60 percent capacity and would drop further if the hot spell persisted.

    

"Currently, the Sungai Selangor Dam has only 57.63 percent water left while the Klang Gate Dam has only 58 percent. Their levels can drop to 45 percent if there is no rain in 16 days.

    

"Although the existing water available is under control, we must do something. If the drought continues, we may need to ration water," he told a media conference after a visit to the Sungai Selangor Dam in Hulu Selangor today.

    

The Sungai Selangor Dam in Kuala Kubu Bharu, which can accommodate 220 cubic metres of water, meets 60 percent of the water need of the Klang Valley.

Mahdzir said he had ordered a meeting between the parties concerned to draw up measures if the water levels at the two dams continue to drop.

    

He said other than rationing water, other measures if stored water continue to drop to critical level, included cloud seeding.

    

"Cloud seeding will be carried out at Sungai Selangor catchment and other areas if the levels of the dams drop to 45 percent or 103.5 million cubic metres."

    

He said the drop in water level was also due to increased and high usage of water in the Klang Valley.

In the same development, he said the water levels of dams in Kedah, Perlis and Penang are under control despite the drought in the three states.

- Bernama