Perak state gov't to investigate encroachment near Bukit Merah reservoir

KERIAN: The state government will investigate the report of encroachment at catchment areas which caused the water level at Bukit Merah reservoir to drop.
Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said they have received reports from departments and agencies, and action will be taken.
"We cannot allow such activities as it disrupts the source of water," he told reporters after visiting the reservoir here today.
Earlier, he visited the padi field at Kampung Tebuk Pancor which had dried up due to lack of water.
He such encroachment is not the only cause of the situation as the lake, which is 110 years old, needs regular maintenance and cleaning.
"There is peat soil at the bottom of the lake and clearing work has to be done carefully so that the lake's structure is not be affected," he added.
The Agriculture and Agrobased Industry Ministry has allocated RM10 million for the work under the third phase. There are 23,000 ha of padi field and 250,000 farmers in Kerian district affected by the El Nino phenomena.
Dr Zambry was commenting on a news report by Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) that some 500ha of peat swamps near the lake had been illegally cleared and dried up to make way for cash crops and oil palm trees.
Its field researcher Meor Razak Meor Rahman said the peat swamps had been gazetted as a protected zone as they acted as a giant sponge that held water before releasing it into the lake.
Zambry said the water level at the reservoir had increased from 6.06m on April 25 to 6.3m to date.
He said the state government is looking at several long term plans to overcome water shortage in the future, including constructing a water channel from Sungai Perak to supply water to Kerian district and Bukit Merah reservoir.
He said the project will cost RM300 million and he hoped that the federal government will finance the project.