PENAMPANG: The Federal Government’s RM320.25 million aid for Sabah’s water woes is expected to arrive sometime in July.
Sabah Works Minister Datuk Ir. Shahelmey Yahya said the allocation is fixed but not before a few necessary approvals from the Ministry of Economy and those related to water.
“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, during a meeting to discuss Sabah’s development in April, ordered the process to be carried out before the issuance of the NOC (notice of change).
“This allows the process to be expedited and carried out simultaneously which we expect to see in July.
“We have been waiting quite some time for this,” he said of the announcement made in June 2023.
Shahelmey was met at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Urgent Water Supply Scheme (UWSS) at the Kasigui Water Treatment Plant, here, Friday.
The scheme will allow an additional five million liters per day (MLD) of water to benefit 25,000 Putatan residents.
The average daily water consumption of Putatan is 200 litres per day.
The UWSS is seen as a significant step for Jetama Water Sdn Bhd as managing company for the Kasigui Water Treatment Plant in helping the Government tackle the issue of water shortage.
The project will include various upgrading works, including upgrading the old Kasigui aqueduct structure, installation of raw water pipelines and installation of treated water pipes.
It’s just a short term solution for Putatan folks says Shahelmy. Another 10 MLD will be pumped to Putatan when the Kogopon 2 Water Treatment Plant becomes operational in 2026.
He said the Kasigui Water Treatment Plant will also be churning out an additional 10 MLD but is pending an NOC. Works are expected to begin by the end of 2024.
“The long-term solution would be a dam built either in Papar or the Upper Padas dam which is under construction.
“If the Papar dam gets the go, it will be able to provide us with enough water until 2050. However, financial and technical issues are still being discussed,” he said.
Meanwhile, he announced that Jetama will also be supplying solar powered mobile drinking water systems to 10 areas in the interiors.
Shahelmey said gravity, river, lake and even underground water would undergo various stages of filtration, including ultraviolet, and has a long life span and is capable of producing 30,000 litres per day enough for approximately 7,000 individuals.
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