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Kedah gov't rejects blame for Penang water shortage

ALOR STAR: In an escalating row, the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) has been warned against blaming the Kedah state government for the former’s water shortage crisis.

State Water Resources and Water Supply Committee chairman Datuk Badrol Hisham Hashim said Penang has been chiding Kedah for not protecting the Ulu Forest Reserve water catchment area from uncontrolled logging – when in fact, the state is doing its best to conserve the area.

Badrol has instead pointed the finger back at Penang for not upgrading the Sungai Muda Water Scheme Barrage facility, to reduce the amount of non-revenue water.

"We (in Kedah) have been doing our best to protect the catchment area in Ulu Muda, practicing controlled logging based on international logging standards.

"The lack of water at the dams there (is actually) due to a prolonged dry spell and not the result of logging," he told reporters when met after attending the Padang Terap district Education Office Excellent Services Award 2016 here, today.

Badrol said water from the Beris dam in Ulu Muda was released in stages to Penang, but the amount was insufficient because the Sungai Muda Water Scheme Barrage is unable to hold water at an optimum level, which causes overflow into the sea.

Based on studies conducted on the Sungai Muda Flood Mitigation and Mengkuang Reservoir Expansion projects, the Sungai Muda Water Scheme Barrage should ideally be able to accommodate two metres of water – but the maximum capacity is now just 1.55 metres.

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