BUTTERWORTH: With no rain in sight, the Penang government plans to mobilise water pump machines to provide water for harvesting involving some 1,164 hectares of paddy fields.
State Agriculture, Agro-based Industries, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin said the state government had ordered the state Agriculture Department to deploy the available machines to the affected areas mainly here and Paya Keladi.
"We will identify other water sources, especially from wells. We only need the water pumps.
"We will mobilise the water pumps from the Area Farmer Organisations which are unaffected by the water supply and also from the Agriculture Department. This is the immediate short-term measure.
"I have requested to add more pumps and take out the others for us to mobilise the water supply at the Sungai Muda basin," he said during a visit to the affected paddy fields here today.
The prolonged dry season has affected 827 farmers and their crops.
Speaking at a press conference later, Dr Afif was also asked on the issue raised by Kepala Batas member of parliament Datuk Seri Reezal Merican a few days ago about the delayed completion of the Pinang Tunggal Pump House near Permatang Saga.
Dr Afif said that the project, which should be completed December last year, would be delayed for at least three more weeks.
"There is a delay to obtain imported pumps from overseas. However, the bypass pumps are operating as usual.
"I have asked the contractor to expedite the process," he said.
Meanwhile, one of the affected farmers Ahmad Awang, 70, said no proper mitigation measures were put in place.
He said if the authorities could not find ways to ensure sufficient waters, their crops would go to waste and their livelihood would be affected.
"About 90 per cent of the people in Pinang Tunggal are involved in paddy farming and we are solely depending on our crops.
"Every dry season, we are suffering from the same problem. If there is no concrete solution, then we will continue to suffer," he said.
He urged the state government to come up with long term solution in order to overcome the water supply issue once and for all.