It looks like this extreme weather won’t be leaving us so soon!
Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar just recently announced that Malaysia’s hot and dry season is going to last until May, as reported in the Malay Mail. Oh no!
Source: Hotels.com
The minister explained that 6 states in Malaysia are likely to experience water shortage due to the lack of rainfall. The 6 affected states are;
- Negeri Sembilan
- Johor
- Perak
- Kedah
- Kelantan
- Pahang
It was also reported that there were many areas that did not receive rainfall for more than 30 days, namely Hulu Perak for 56 days and Setiu, Terengganu for the past 31 days. Other critical areas that received less than 25 per cent of annual rainfall include Rembau and Tampin, Negeri Sembilan as well as Rompin, Pahang, said Dr Xavier.
Source: Libertatea
There are also several areas that have been listed in the “dangerous” category. The areas include Padang Terap in Kedah, Cameron Highlands, Kuantan, Hulu Terengganu, Kemaman, and also Kuala Terengganu.
To make matters worse, this extreme weather might even result in the lack of river and dam water resources in the country.
The storage capacity for three dams was only up to 50 per cent, according to Dr Xavier. The three dams were the Muda Dam at 58.97 per cent (Kedah), Machap Dam at 55.61 per cent and Sembrong Dam at 54.07 per cent (Johor). The Bukit Kwong Dam in Kelantan was at a storage capacity of 37.28 per cent.
Source: Cilisos.my
In terms of water usage, Dr Xavier stated that all consumers who needed water for daily, industrial and agricultural purposes, especially paddy growers, should be controlled by rotation or by rescheduling the replanting of crops.
As for now, the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has already notified authorities in their respective states to distribute water from dams in a more controlled manner to further avoid water shortages during this hot and dry weather.
If you’re in any of the affected states, be sure to stock up on some water in preparation!
Also read: Warning: Extreme Weather Expected To Hit Malaysia In 2019
