Kota Kinabalu: The State Government will discuss the proposal by the Sabah Water Council to gazette water source areas in every district, especially the seven districts that have water treatment plants, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
“We will discuss the matter. We will do our very best to ensure our water resources in the State are preserved,” he said when met after presenting assistance to the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department at Menara Kinabalu, here, Wednesday.
He was commenting on the statement by Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who is also Chairman of the Sabah Water Council.
Dr Jeffrey told a press conference after chairing the Council’s meeting on March 22 that the Council will propose to the State Government to gazette water source areas in every district, especially the seven districts that have water treatment plants.
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The seven districts are Tuaran, Papar, Penampang, Tawau, Sandakan, Semporna and Kudat.
Dr Jeffrey also said identified water catchment areas located outside water source areas would also be proposed for gazetting as a conservation area.
According to him, a protected area means areas cannot be disturbed at all even if they are State lands or outside forest reserves or national parks, while a conservation area would have regulations for the use of land in those areas.
“The conservation areas will be given some flexibility because they mostly involve titled lands and farms. But we have to make a policy for the conservation areas where we will have regulations for the use of land in the area,” he explained.
He said these proposals are for the present and the long term, which requires Sabah to take care of water resources to be used by the State Water Department for the use of the people and industries.
The meeting also received other proposals to deal with drought issues such as finding water sources through tube wells, the implementation of water transfer methods (channelled via pipes or water tankers from an area that has sufficient water supply to another area that experienced water shortage) and coastal reserves.
“In future, when we face the monsoon season, we have to take that as an opportunity to collect flood water to be stored for use in the dry season.
“We will bring to the State Government for consideration the proposed coastal reserves, to store excess river water in the monsoon season.
In addition, it is also necessary to create retention ponds in areas upstream of rivers so that flood water can be reduced in the downstream areas.
“Coastal reserves will be like retention ponds, where excess river water will be channelled to and stored. We will study how this can be done. We also have to consider creating retention ponds in areas where they are needed.”
Dr Jeffrey said the most important thing is to give understanding to the people of Sabah to preserve the environment and rivers and practise conservation.
“Some suggested that the Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) might need to have a sub-committee for looking after and conserving water source area,” he added.
Dr Jeffrey also said Sabah is facing water supply problems because of the prolonged dry season, coupled with the El Nino phenomenon, and not because of water management problems.
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