GEORGE TOWN: The Environment and Water Ministry’s (Kasa’s) plan for states with excess water to share water with states facing water shortages may start with the federal government implementing the Sungai Perak Raw Water Transfer Scheme (SPRTWS) for Penang and Perak.
Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) chief executive officer, Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa said Penang and PBAPP fully supported the plan as it was not a new approach.
“As large-scale raw water transfer schemes such as the Johor-Malacca and Pahang-Selangor schemes are already operational, we will welcome Kasa’s intervention to expedite the SPRWTS,“ he said in a statement today.
On July 9, Kasa minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said at a press conference that the federal government was in the midst of discussing sharing of water between states, in efforts to resolve the country’s water supply issue.
According to Tuan Ibrahim, among the states with surplus water supply are Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Kedah while the state often experiencing water shortage is Malacca.
Meanwhile, Jaseni said Penang had been waiting for the federal government to implement the SPRWTS since 2011.
“The SPRWTS is a critical raw water supply solution for Penang’s future as it will ensure water supply security for Penang and north Perak until 2050.
“A study has projected that Sungai Muda may reliably serve as Penang’s one and only primary raw water resource until 2025. By then, Penang is likely to face the high risk of a water supply crisis, unless it taps a second major raw water resource
“All we ask of Kasa is to take the lead and expedite the SPRWTS as a raw water supply solution for the benefit of Perak and Penang,“ he added. - Bernama
