KOTA KINABALU – Sabah is forging ahead, with the construction of a dam in Ulu Padas in Tenom, about 150km from here, with the ground-breaking ceremony scheduled in October.
Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the dam will be part of the state’s long-term solution to address its water crisis.
“When completed, the dam will be able to yield an impressive 6,000 million litres per day (MLD) over the next 60 to 100 years,” he told reporters during his visit to the Kogopon water treatment plant in Papar today.
He also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Kogopon Water Treatment Plant Phase II.
Hajiji said the construction of the dam will take three years, with the expected completion latest by 2027, at a cost of around RM4 billion.
Construction of the project will be a joint venture between the Sabah Water Department, Sabah Energy Corporation, Conlay Construction, PFI Construction and Gamuda, he added.
“It will be a hydroelectric dam.”
On the Kaiduan or Papar Dam, Hajiji said a feasibility study is still being carried out on the hydroelectric project, adding that the state government has expressed interest in building the dam.
“We intend to build this dam to deal with the water shortage in the long run. We have been questioned by investors on our ability to produce water and supply electricity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hajiji said the construction of the Kogopon Water Treatment Plant Phase II will double treated water production at the facility from 40 MLD to 80 MLD when it is completed in three years’ time.
He noted the cost of the new water treatment plant is around RM379 million.
“Once completed, it would be able to address the water issues experienced in Papar, Kimanis and Putatan,” he said. – The Vibes, August 25, 2023
