On Sunday (5th May), Klang was hit by an unexpected water disruption just over a week after the scheduled water cuts took place all over the Klang Valley.
According to The Star, the water shortage that affected about 800,000 people was caused by three main water supply pipes dislocating and leaking after the Klang stretch of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) cracked and collapsed due to soil movement.
Seeking to allay the frustrations of Malaysians who were affected by the unscheduled water disruption, Klang MP Charles Santiago has been posting updates on the situation on his Twitter account.
I've visited the site of the incident this morning and was briefed by the engineers & officers of Air Selangor.
The collapse of the West Coast Expressway (WCE), resulted in the breaking of critical pipes. Nearby houses were flooded as a result. pic.twitter.com/m99zHJHnQ3
— Charles Santiago (@mpklang) May 7, 2019
Repair work is progeessing but delayed due to earth movement at the area.
Please SMS Tanker <Nama><Alamat> ke 15300 atau Whatsapp ke 019 – 281 6793 / 019 – 280 0919, to get water tankers to your locality. pic.twitter.com/SzMnowTUBa
— Charles Santiago (@mpklang) May 7, 2019
Earlier this week, he posted photos to show the extent of the damage that was done to the WCE.
Aerial view of the site of the incident nearby the West Coast Expressway (WCE) Project Construction, shows the gravity of the damage. pic.twitter.com/0lt3r4ywnj
— Charles Santiago (@mpklang) May 7, 2019
Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar mentioned in a statement that Air Selangor only realised the issue was much bigger than previously thought while carrying out repairs to the pipes. He was quoted by The Sun Daily as saying,
“The pipes were displaced and dislocated at several spots when a new retaining wall constructed by WCE failed and caused soil movement that, in turn, displaced the pipes As a result, repair works have become tedious, difficult and risky. There still are signs of soil movement at the retaining wall.”
While restoration works have already been completed as of 7th May, many parts of Klang are still experiencing water shortages. Civilians and ministers alike have been helping distribute water to affected areas.
The whole of last night, my team has been sending water supply to affected areas, and those in dire need. They have only now managed to go home, at 7am.
We are trying our best. pic.twitter.com/vCj4vQGFje
— Charles Santiago (@mpklang) May 8, 2019
Now, in an updated statement from Air Selangor, water supply is expected to return to the following areas by 1pm on Thursday (9th May);
— Air Selangor (@air_selangor) May 9, 2019
Let’s hope that this issue has been completely resolved and water services resume as usual.
Also read: Large Water Containers are Selling Out Fast Because of the Upcoming Water Shortage in Klang Valley
