Letters

Turn rivers into grounds of tactical importance

LETTERS: Much has been said about water crisis in Selangor. Many are angry about it, not to mention the feeling of anxiety and restlessness.

Taking into account the surging Covid-19 cases, current political developments plus rampant water cuts, these are all but potential recipes of a complete combination that could spell instability and public disorder.

There seems to be no end to water woes in Selangor. Year in, year out, it has been the same thing. What's new? I'm no expert but one of those who have been badly affected each time water cuts occurred all these years.

Solutions after solutions have been planned and decided upon but until today, the issue, though has yet to get out of hand and is still manageable, does not seem to end. In fact, it is getting from bad to worse.

True that most Selangorians are already feeling tired mix with hopelessness about water-supply troubles in the state, akin to a soap opera without end. The baton for Selangor Menteri Besar keeps changing, yet, there has been so solution in sight.

The latest disruption affecting more than 1 million households, was said to have been caused by pollution in Sungai Selangor. Initial investigations by Air Selangor zoomed in on solvent-like odour from the river. Time and again, river pollution has always been cited as among some of the reasons in the state.

Unfortunately, things remain the same with no long-term solutions for the problem. Probably, the Selangor State Government and those relevant authorities in charge of running and overseeing the whole water supply processes and management can consider this proposal as viable – turn rivers that supply water for consumption in the state into grounds of tactical importance (GTI).

Of course, this requires a principle of defence. So, gazette those rivers or localities as secured areas with round-the-clock surveillance mounted. Build electric perimeters for such water resources and equip them with thermal sensors, CCTVs, for instance.

Get our enforcement personnel like the soldiers or our policemen to guard those secured spots, with prowler dogs. Maybe drones can monitor those areas. The State Government should be willing to spend millions on this.

Or maybe, Selangor can learn from neighbouring countries such as Singapore's PUB on how to manage water supply, water catchment areas and water in an integrated way.

Of course, there is no quick fix to this problem but now more than ever the time has come for the state government to help the people who have been suffering from water cuts for far too long.

Tuan Zaaba Tuan Mahmud

Cheras, Selangor


The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times

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