Selangor will not resume water rationing during the dry season caused by the El Nino phenomenon that isnow hitting the Asia Pacific region, Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said today.

He said that the state government has placed 20 water pumps at nine ponds located off two rivers, to provide up to 800 million litres of water a day.

"With this, we can minimise taking raw water supply from the Sungai Selangor in order to ensure the Sungai Selangor water treatment plants at phases 1, 2 and 3 will receive normal supply," Khalid ( right ) told reporters today.

The Selangor Water Management Authority and a unit under the state Economic Planning Unit, Khalid said, have checked out the pumps and ponds and were positive about this water supply system.

Under this system, water from the river will be pumped to the ponds to ensure that there is adequate supply to the water treatment plants during the dry spell and this would be continuously monitored for the safety of the water.

"We will take water samples every week to ensure it is safe," Khalid said.

Cloud-seeding to continue on as well

Besides the ponds, he said, the state would be cooperating with Thailand's Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agriculture Aviation to carry out cloud-seeding.  

Till now, he said, 37 cloud seeding operations have been performed by the bureau.

"Although rainfall at the water catchment areas is little, the bureau's assistance has increased the effectiveness in getting rain there."

On another matter, Khalid said the takeover of the concession company Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd is expected to be completed within a month, following the decision arrived at the company's extraordinary general meeting yesterday.

"I would like to congratulate Rozali Ismail (executive chairperson of Puncak Niaga) for accepting the state's offer," he added.