Sebatik dam replenished after two-day cloud seeding op
Published on: Monday, April 01, 2024
Shahelmey (7th right, last row) posing with the media after presenting them Ramadan contribution at a breaking of fast with the media and orphans from As-Sakinah Orphan Home at SICC on Saturday.
Kota Kinabalu: The Sebatik dam in Tawau, reported to be dry due to the prolonged drought, is replenished slightly following a two-day cloud seeding operation.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya said the dam could now operate again with a capacity of 0.3 million litres per day (MLD).
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“This gave some relief to the people of Sebatik. The cloud seeding that was carried out for three days until Saturday (March 30) and showed 67 per cent success rate in Lahad Datu, Tawau and Papar as well as Kota Kinabalu.
“However, we cannot be certain whether there is also rain in the catchment area that is the source of water for our rivers and dams except for Sebatik dam which has been refilled at minimum level,” he said.
Nonetheless, he said, the State Water Department (JANS) continues to distribute water through underground water sources using trucks to the people of Sebatik, an island shared with Indonesia.
He said having rain in the catchment area is important to increase the water level of the river, especially in Papar, where the drought has caused the water intake for the Water Treatment Plant (LRA) Limbahau basin to be filled with salt water.
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“The river still has water but it cannot be treated due to the high level of salinity and we hope that with the rain in the catchment area it can push the salty water downstream to enable the LRA Limbahau to operate again,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shahelmey who is also the Member of Parliament for Putatan, said the LRA Telibong Phase 2 project was completed in December and the pipe connection from LRA Telibong Phase 2 to the existing main pipe was carried out in January, this year.
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“Currently, we have been able to channel an additional 30 MLD of water for users in Kota Kinabalu from LRA Telibong Phase Two and when the installation of new pipes along the route of Package 8 of the Pan Borneo Highway is completed at the end of this year, we will be able to channel another 50 MLD making total additional supply of 80 MLD from the LRA Telibong Phase 2.
“This is made after an official visit of the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the beginning of the year in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Public Works where the pipe installation work on the package 8 of the Pan Borneo route has been coordinated with an allocation of RM50 million, which will be completed by end of this year, so that the total water capacity of LRA Telibong Phase 2 of 80 MLD we will be able to enjoy it,” he said.
He said the current water supply disruption experienced by users in Putatan, Ketiau and Tombovo is expected to be fully recovered once building the LRA Urgent Water Supply Scheme (UWSS) Putatan which was approved last year, will begin after Hari Raya.
“A water concession company, Jetama Sdn Bhd has been ordered to speed up the construction of the LRA UWSS which, when completed, will be able to supply an additional five MLD.
“When all this is completed, we expect the problem of low water pressure and insufficient supply in Kota Kinabalu and Putatan to be solved,” he said.
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