THE Perak government has denied claims of sand mining activities at Sungai Perak resulting in soil movement at the water treatment plant (WTP) intake in Teluk Kepayang, Bota, affecting 79,360 accounts in the Manjung and Perak Tengah districts on March 31.

State Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said the sinking of the earth surface at the river embankment near the WTP caused pressure to build, cutting off the water supply. 

“If there had been sand mining activities, we could have identified it sooner. It was more due to soil movement, which caused the embankment to burst and pressure to build up in water pipes hidden behind the embankments,” he said when met after a Raya aid programme at Dewan Carsem, Maju Rapat, today. 

On April 1, an environmental activist tweeted that the Teluk Kepayang WTP raw water pipeline burst due to sand mining activities along Sungai Perak. 

Nizar said the incident will not recur, especially ahead of Raya celebration, which is expected to fall on April 22.

“We have carried out repairs and structural rehabilitation, specifically in areas that experienced water supply disruptions,” he said. – Bernama, April 9, 2023.