Water drying up, Sabah needs cloud seeding - minister

Cloud seeding needs to be done immediately in Sabah to induce rainfall and increase water levels at the state’s water treatment plants (LRA).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Armizan Mohd Ali said the Sabah government can seek cloud seeding services from its federal counterpart to resolve the critical water supply situation.

He said if the state technical team has identified the need for cloud seeding, the state government can submit an application to the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).

“I am not going to downplay this. The water supply situation in Sabah is at a critical level and the southwest monsoon phenomenon this time will make it even more critical.

“If this (cloud seeding) is not done, many other water treatment plants will be affected,” he told Bernama after a visit to the Limbahau Emergency Water Supply Scheme (EWSS) water treatment plant in the Papar district today.

Armizan (above), who is the Papar MP, said the EWSS LRA had also been affected after water levels at Sungai Papar dropped, causing the plant, which is capable of supplying 10 million litres of clean water a day, to cease operating since last week, affecting more than 19,000 residents from 33 villages in Papar.

He said as an immediate measure, water tanker lorries have been despatched to public facilities such as village mosques and community halls.

Armizan said among other suggestions to be implemented in the long term is the provision of static tanks with a capacity of between 10,000 and 20,000 litres of water to be provided in villages that face critical water supply problems.

In addition, he hoped that the upgrading of the Kogopon Papar LRA, currently with a capacity of 40 million litres a day, to 80 million liters can be completed this year.

The LRA was scheduled to be completed last year after being delayed for 10 years.

“We need an additional RM67 million from the original cost of RM312 million... so the cost required now is almost RM400 million due to the changed scope and the increase in the price of materials,” he said.

RM320m for Sabah water crisis

Armizan said he was also satisfied with the presentation by Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor on the short-term plan to deal with the state’s water crisis that was presented to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya yesterday.

He said the short-term plan between six to 12 months, involving RM320.25 million, proved the state leadership is taking swift action on the matter.

“We have no choice. The construction of dams for example. If it is not decided now, then they cannot be completed within a year or two. It takes a minimum of 60 months at least,” he said.

In making decisions, he said, it is necessary to take into account the guarantee of socioeconomic security, job opportunities, and compensation for the villagers involved.

Hajiji yesterday reportedly said the Sabah government was confident financial assistance from the federal government will speed up its short-term plan in dealing with the state’s water crisis.

The chief minister said the financial assistance of RM320.25 million included the implementation of six programmes consisting of 20 projects throughout the state including nine for the districts of Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Putatan, Papar, Beaufort, Keningau, Tawau, Lahad Datu, and Sandakan.

- Bernama

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