MALACCA: With the prospect of daily scheduled water supply beginning next Wednesday, Malaccans are urging the state government to speed up construction of the Jernih Dam in Alor Gajah near here so that there will be sufficient water supply for everyone here.
A civil servant in Ayer Keroh, Mahfuz Sulaiman, 42, said the authorities responsible for the project should speed it up as the population in the state, especially in Central Malacca, was increasing.
“When the dam is completed, there will be many benefits for the people, including the roads that will be built, sufficient electricity supply and flood mitigation. Most importantly, the locals will get sufficient water supply,” he told Bernama here today.
The RM168-million Jernih Dam will be the fourth in the state, adding to three others, namely the Durian Tunggal Dam in Alor Gajah, and the Jus Dam and Asahan Dam in Jasin.
Echoing Mahfuz’s view, university student Ng Hui Yen, 21, said the state government’s decision to implement scheduled water supply was logical in order to regulate its use especially when the water level in the dams was at a critical level.
She said the scheduled supply was an effective way of educating consumers on the importance of prudent water use but the new dam must be constructed quickly to increase the amount of water stored and avoid a water crisis.
“When more water is stored, there will supply for the drought season,” she said.
For private sector employee from Alor Gajah, Kaviarasan Anbarasan, 29, knowing when the scheduled supply would begin would enable locals to store water for their daily needs.
“I have to store sufficient water for daily use. Even though the state government gave the assurance that there will not be another water crisis in Malacca, I am still storing water early,” Kaviarasan said.
Last Thursday, Chief Minister Adly Zahari was reported as saying Melaka would implement daily scheduled water supply beginning Jan 29 which will affect 550,673 domestic consumers who comprise 62.8% of the state’s population.
Adly said the scheduled supply would ensure there was sufficient water during the hot and dry weather in the second phase of the Northeast Monsoon which is expected to end in March.
However, hospitals, industrial areas and tourist sites will not be affected. — Bernama
