Penang water engineers rush to supply dry Kedah areas

GEORGE TOWN – A squadron of 26 personnel from the 60th Royal Army Engineers Regiment Volunteers (RAJD) are on an emergency mission to supply water to several areas in Kedah stricken with water supply problems.

The lack of water supply was due to leaking pipes and dry weather.

Of the 26 Penang RAJD personnel, 24 are from Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP), while two others are from the northern region office of the National Water Services Commission. 

PBAPP has also dispatched a 5,000-litre water tanker, two vans, and a 4WD vehicle to Kedah. 

This deployment is in response to a call for help from Syarikat Air Darul Aman Sdn Bhd (Sada), Kedah’s water supply operator, to the Malaysian Army. 

PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa said that they were working on urgent water projects in Kedah after Sada had requested for the activation of the 60th RAJD to undertake emergency pipe laying works and distribution of water supply.

Together with other RAJD squadrons from Kedah, Pahang, and Selangor, the Penang squadron will undertake the following pipe laying works in Kedah:

- Laying 1km of 180mm water pipeline at Kg Tanah 100 in the Kota Setar district; 

- Laying 50m of 125mm water pipeline at Kg Risda in Gurun;

- Laying 200m of 125mm water pipeline at Kg Anak Ikan, Bukit Selambau, to replace a broken old pipe.

- Laying 150m of 125mm water pipeline at Kg Bukit Chengal, Pendang

- Laying 450m of 180mm water pipeline at Kg Bendang Bukit, Pendang

The operation also includes the deployment of water tankers to distribute treated water to affected consumers in Gurun, Merbok, Tanjung Dawai, Semeling, and Sg Lalang.

“This is a mission of goodwill in which PBAPP had agreed to deploy its personnel and assets to help the people in Kedah who needed urgent water supply assistance,” said Jaseni.

PBAPP’s efforts come in the wake of an exchange of harsh words between the Kedah and Penang leadership after the former disclosed plans to build 14 water tanks along the boundary lines of Sg Muda.

This is to protect the water catchment for supply to the southern region of Kedah. – The Vibes, March 28, 2021