AG's Report 2015: Insufficient allocation delays Bakaj's gazetting of dams, water catchments

JOHOR BARU: Insufficient allocation to carry out a costly boundary survey has resulted in the Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj) being unable to gazette a total of 15 dams and water catchment areas in the state.

The Auditor-General's Report Series 2 tabled in Parliament yesterday stated that efforts to gazette the dams and water catchment areas were necessary to protect and preserve the water resources.

However, until now, there are 15 dams which have yet to be gazetted.

They are Sungai Layang (Upper) Dam, Sungai Layang (Lower) Dam, Linggiu Dam, Lebam Dam, Juaseh Dam, Gunung Ledang Dam, Congok Dam, Labong Dam, Sembrong Dam, Bekok Dam, Machap Dam, Gunung Pulai 1, 2 and 3 dams and Pontian (Ulu Choh) Dam.

The report said from 1994 to 2014, allocation for Bakaj's expenditure, managed by the State Secretary Office's management division, saw the body was given allocation for service activities, supplies and assets only.
"The audit also found Bakaj took the initiative in 2005 to gazette water catchment areas. However until now, efforts to gazette the identified areas were still incomplete," it added.

It also said Bakaj faced difficulties to fend off encroachment at certain areas which were not gazetted under the Water Act 1921 as it had no authority to impose control and enforcement over those places.

In addition, the water regulatory body also faced difficulty to determine the boundaries on the catchment areas as there was no specific indication to be used as guide to implement the area's delimitation.

Bakaj's feedback dated Sept 13 this year, said it would take immediate action by providing a gazetting plan to be submitted to the district office, in addition to implementing it based on the Water Act 1921.
The report recommended Bakaj to speed up the gazetting process to enable control and enforcement steps to be carried out to protect the area from pollution.

Bakaj also needs to strengthen the organisation to be an effective water regulatory body, in line with amendments to the Water Act 1921 which empowers the state government in maintaining and conserving water resources.

In other issues, Bakaj was found not to have formulated any plan or steps to explore alternative water resources until last year.

However, Bakaj feedback dated Sept 13, stated it had submitted an application to the state government in September through the Johor State Economic Planning Unit (EPU) to implement alternative water resource development projects in 2017.

In its recommendation, the Auditor-General said Bakaj needed to step up efforts actively in exploring alternative sources and speed up implementation projects proposed both in the National Water Resources Study and Johor Water Resources Source Study to ensure the availability of sufficient water, especially during the dry season. — Bernama