Khalid: Water rationing may return

by **Cals** Thu 01 May 2014, 01:50

Business & Markets 2014

Written by Bernama

Wednesday, 30 April 2014 19:58

SHAH ALAM (April 30): The Selangor government does not dismiss the possibility of water rationing returning to hit consumers, although it has decided that the current rationing exercise will end tomorrow.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, however, gave the assurance that water supply for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur for the next five or six months, would be sufficient.

"We cannot guarantee that water rationing will not be repeated, but through the efforts being undertaken, like using alternative sources such as rainwater and water from ponds and abandoned mining pools, we are confident (that) the water supply will be sufficient for at least the next five or six months," he said, after chairing a state executive council meeting, here today.

The Selangor government today decided to end the water rationing plan simultaneously, in all affected areas, from tomorrow.

Abdul Khalid said, the state government felt that there was no need to wait for water levels in the dams to reach 50 per cent to end the rationing exercise, as water was being pumped from ponds, while it continued to rain in the water catchment areas, which could raise water levels in the dams.

He said that efforts would continue, to ensure enough water supply in facing the drought season, which was expected to occur from May until September.

"To deal with the situation, the state government has allocated RM10 million to purchase water pumps and to provide the infrastructure for the pumping work.

"We will be pumping excess water from the rivers into the retention ponds, and this water will be pumped back into the rivers, during the dry season," he added.