Sabah not facing water crisis, just shortage, says Shahelmey
Published on: Thursday, March 07, 2024
By: FMT
Sabah deputy chief minister Shahelmey Yahya cited climate change and delays to water infrastructure projects as reasons for the water shortage. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Sabah is not facing a water supply crisis but merely a shortage, says deputy chief minister Shahelmey Yahya.
Shahelmey dismissed Warisan MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis’s claim of a water crisis in the state, saying the Kota Belud MP’s remarks were “extreme”.
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“What we are facing at the moment is water shortage due to climate change and delays in the implementation of certain projects. Besides that, our non-revenue water (NRW) rate is high, making up around 50% (of water used) in the state and about 38% in Kota Kinabalu itself.
“So, if we can bring the NRW rate down to less than 35% and implement projects like the Papar dam, then we will have stable water supply for the next two to three decades,” he said, according to The Borneo Post.
Shahelmey, who is also the state works minister, said the Sabah government must pay attention to the effects of climate change and economic activities in its water infrastructure planning.
He said allocating large pieces of land for plantations, for example, could affect the “nature of water catchment” areas and, in turn, Sabah’s water resources.
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As part of reducing Sabah’s high NRW rate, he said, the Sabah water department conducted a major cut-off of illegal water connections in Sepanggar two months ago.
NRW refers to water lost before it reaches the consumer and which is not billed, leading to financial losses.
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Shahelmey said this was mainly caused by old, dilapidated pipes and illegal water connections.
Yesterday, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof announced an additional allocation of RM100 million to resolve water supply issues in Sabah. This is on top of the RM300 million grant to Sabah previously approved by the Cabinet.
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