Kelantan govt slammed for reliance on unsafe groundwater

Summary

• Environmental group Peka criticises the Kelantan government for failing to provide adequate treated water, forcing rural residents to rely on unsafe groundwater.

• The group’s president, Rajesh Nagarajan, warns of serious health risks linked to high iron and manganese levels in borehole water, calling the state’s inaction “negligent.”

• He also proposes a rainwater harvesting initiative as a sustainable alternative to reduce dependence on contaminated sources.

Peka has lambasted the Kelantan government for allegedly providing inadequate water infrastructure to residents, causing an over-reliance on untreated groundwater.

The environmental group’s president, Rajesh Nagarajan, stressed that it is “completely unacceptable” for a state government to behave in such a “lackadaisical and negligent manner” in issues involving basic human rights and people’s welfare.

“The root of the issue lies in the state’s over-reliance on boreholes, largely due to inadequate access to treated pipe water.

“For years, this has forced residents, especially those in rural areas, to depend on underground water sources without sufficient monitoring or regulatory safeguards,” he said in a statement today.

Rajesh’s remarks follow an Utusan Malaysia report claiming that about 600,000 Kelantan residents who rely on wells and boreholes may face long-term health issues due to the high iron and manganese content in the groundwater.

Quoting the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia, the report detailed that iron levels in Bachok and Kota Bharu have reached 3.79 mg/l, while manganese levels reached 0.76 mg/l, far above the Health Ministry’s standards of 0.3 mg/l and 0.1 mg/l, respectively.

Yesterday, Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Fadzli Hassan said the state government is ready to work with the state’s Health Department to examine the levels of these substances, which may be harmful to people’s health.

Borehole water linked to major illnesses

Rajesh warned that elevated levels of iron and manganese in water from boreholes can lead to serious long-term health risks, particularly for children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

These risks, he said, include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, mitochondrial dysfunction, cardiovascular issues, as well as various respiratory and neurological disorders.

“We are urging the government to stop the neglect of its people and immediately provide clean, treated, and piped water, (thus preventing) communities from depending on unsafe and untreated groundwater from boreholes,” he said.

He also recommended a state-wide or national-level rainwater harvesting initiative modelled after similar programmes in Thailand, highlighting that such measures can provide a vital and sustainable water source.

“Malaysia receives abundant rainfall, especially during the monsoon season. In Thailand, schools, homes, and government buildings are equipped with rooftop collection systems, filtration units, and storage tanks to supply clean rainwater throughout the year.

“This approach reduces pressures on the supply of piped water,” he added.

K'tan govt to examine high levels of metals in groundwater

Boost economic activity in K’tan to get more revenue, Rafizi tells PAS

'K'tan, T'ganu got more federal funds despite being opposition states'

MOH collects blood samples from Orang Asli living downriver from iron mines