THE Kedah government is making contingency plans to face water cuts, should they occur during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations in April.

Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said as water issues had occurred during previous festival celebrations, he is optimistic that the contingency plan could deal with the problem as best as possible.

“We face the same problem every year, so we have come up with a contingency plan and this year we are better prepared,” he said in Alor Star today.

At the same time, Sanusi called on Kedah folk to conserve water – especially during the current hot season – because if the situation continues for another two to three months, it is likely to cause problems.

“Yesterday, Syarikat Air Darul Aman (Sada) said we are facing a weak La Nina phenomenon. When it happens, the river water levels will drop and we have to make adjustments to our pumps (at the dams).

“When the drought happens, please be patient and conserve water. Efforts by the (state) government are being made to overcome this problem,” he said.

However, Sanusi said the situation is not yet critical as the water levels at several dams in the state are still adequate, including those under the supervision of the Muda Agricultural Development Board.

As of today, the water levels are as follows: Pedu Dam (83.72%), Muda Dam (73.1%) and Ahning Dam (98.11%).

Sanusi said the Kedah Water Resources Board has always taken steps to reactivate several tube wells that had been bored for the pumping process.

He also asked the Sada authorities to increase its fleet of water tankers. – Bernama, March 21, 2023.