Pix by Zain Ahmed
JOHOR BARU: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will be tabling the final draft of the National Water Resources Bill during the next Parliamentary sitting at the end of the month.
Deputy minister Datuk Dr Hamim Samuri said the tabling of the bill was important as it would ensure that a standardised water resources management system will be applied by all states.
“The bill will enable the state governments to apply a standardised water management system, which will be consistent with the federal-level policies on maintaining and safeguarding essential water resources,” he said at the closing ceremony of the two-day Water Leaders Forum 2017 organised by the Johor government.
Currently, said Hamim, the water resources management guidelines and some of its policies differed from state to state.
“The National Water Resources Bill will be able to coordinate the management of water resources across all agencies involved in every state,” he said.
He said, among other things, the bill was expected to contain aspects on coastal area management, underground water, flood mitigation and a contingency plan during droughts.
“There will also be sections on regulations to monitor the raw water resources such as rivers and tributaries,” he said.