KUALA LUMPUR: For the Hindu community in USJ 4 Casablanca in Subang Jaya, the Selangor's water woes have definitely left a mark on their Deepavali celebrations.
USJ 4 Casablanca Residents' Association president Jeyanthy Pillai said the community at the area is not in the mood to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights due to inconsistent water supply that has practically disrupted their preparation for the occasion.
“On Deepavali eve, we were happy as water came trickling in our water pipes. Today, there was no water in the morning and we are not able to cook heavy dishes like curry. There is also no running water to clean our cooking utensils. We have to use water sparingly.
“I was able to cook some light dishes in the morning, such as coconut candies, Kara Murukku and Sweet Semolina Balls from the water we had collected yesterday,” Jeyanthy said.
Jeyanthi said she could not invite friends and relatives to her house due to the water cut in the morning but in the evening, when water supply resumed at around 4pm, she was able to cook main dishes for the occasion to have a late Deepavali celebration with her family.
Despite the water shortage, she said, the residents in USJ 4 Casa Blanca had been sending Deepavali wishes to one another in the community’s WhatApps group chat.
“During this entire water crisis, we made more friends with our neighbours, we started sharing and communicating... and we really started caring for each other, that is what life is all about, to create a loving heart for all living beings.” she said.
It was reported that the Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant has resumed operations at 3.15am today, some 11 hours after it was forced to shut down yesterday.
The plant had to be temporarily closed at 4.15pm when the bund at Sungai Buah in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, built to stop contaminated water from flowing into Sungai Semenyih, broke during a downpour.