ALOR STAR: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has approved an immediate allocation to repair the Jitra Offtake Structure (ACX), which was damaged by recent floods.
In a statement, the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) said that the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak, confirmed the allocation to ensure swift restoration efforts for the Jitra ACX.
"Datuk Seri Isham Ishak has announced that an immediate allocation will be provided to repair the damaged Jitra Offtake Structure (ACX) to ensure swift and effective restoration," the statement read.
The damage occurred on Nov 26 after heavy rainfall caused water levels in Sungai Padang Terap and Sungai Bata to rise, surpassing the Northern Canal's threshold.
"This led to the collapse of the Left Embankment of the Northern Canal and slope failures on both the left and right embankments at Alor Changileh near the Jitra Offtake Structure (ACX)," Mada said.
As a precaution, Mada issued early warnings to relevant authorities and agencies in line with its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under the Dam Safety Emergency Action Plan.
"Mada has issued early notifications regarding the status and expected overflows to relevant departments and agencies in accordance with the SOP for Mada's Dam Safety Emergency Action Plan," the statement read.
On Tuesday, Mada chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh shared a video of the incident on his TikTok account. (LINK:https://www.tiktok.com/@drismailsalleh/video/7442688771679636754?_r=1&_t...).
On a related matter, Mada said that as of Dec 1, the total water reservoir level for its three dams stood at 968,063 acre-feet, or 79.15 per cent.
The levels in the Muda Dam were at 139,750 acre-feet (111.8 per cent), Pedu Dam at 602,625 acre-feet (68.87 per cent), and Ahning Dam at 225,688 acre-feet (101.21 per cent).
Mada also said that there had been a decline in water levels at Muda Dam, from 337.05 feet to 332.95 feet, and a slight drop at Ahning Dam, from 371.65 feet to 371.58 feet.
"Currently, the water level in Muda Dam shows a declining trend, dropping from 337.05 feet to 332.95 feet," the statement added.