SABAH has activated disaster committees in all districts to deal with issues arising from the ongoing drought in the state.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor told reporters that the El Nino phenomenon should not be treated lightly though problems arising from the drought have not become widespread.
“We have already set up disaster committees to address the drought. The drought is not a laughing matter. The El Nino in Sabah right now has affected most of the districts.
“But it has yet to seriously affect our water reserves. Only Papar is facing a bit of a problem right now as one of its main water intakes has been affected by salt water,” said Hajiji, referring to the Limbahau Water Intake in Papar, which has ceased operation due to the saline intrusion since Feb 17.
Hajiji said this during his visit to the Limbahau Water Intake in Papar, where he also approved the construction of an alternative water intake near Kampung Kabang in the same district.
The Sulaman assemblyman also noted that cloud seeding will be conducted as soon as possible after his cabinet approved the programme last week.
Three days ago, a drought disaster was declared in Papar with district officer Mohd Fuad Abdullah saying the situation has affected approximately 150,000 residents.
The fire and rescue department had also noted over 961 forest and crop fires between January and March 14 this year while the Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries Ministry has predicted the drought will affect the state’s food production.
Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said action to mitigate the impact of the drought will be announced following a State Water Resources Council Meeting on March 22.
The extended dry and hot spells in Sabah have been predicted since October last year when the then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohd Armizan Ali warned Sabah to prepare for a reduction in rainfall expected between January and March this year.
Meanwhile, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya said Sabah has not experienced a water crisis but a water shortage stemming from climate change and delays in project implementation.
Other than the water shortage in Papar, Shahelmy noted Sebatik Island in Tawau as the other area now facing a similar crisis as the local water reservoir has dried up while the Timbangan Dam in Semporna only has enough reserves to last for about three more days.
The inhabitants now rely on 10 existing tube wells on the island, said Shahelmy, adding that four new tube wells would be completed this week.
As for Semporna, Shahelmy said it still has enough supply as raw water is being sourced from the local Sungai Kalumpang River.
A summary report of the state’s water reserves made public recently revealed that Kudat still has enough reserves to last 271 days, Sandakan 95 days, Penampang 86 days, Tamparuli 64 days and Lahad Datu 39 days.
In a related development, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd has not given an update on its move to ration power supplies in 14 Sabah districts including Labuan.
Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) announced this on March 15 to ensure stable electric supplies due to the persistent hot weather that saw consumption rising due to the use of air-conditioners and other electrical goods.
The Energy Commission of Sabah meanwhile encouraged large-scale power consumers to use their generators to meet their electricity demands while SESB imposed rationing to reduce the burden on the power grids. – The Vibes, March 20, 2024
