Plan for new dam near Sg Mersing

Govt aiming to reduce dependence on Congok dam

JOHOR BARU: The Government plans to build a new dam along Sungai Mersing to reduce the dependence on the Congok dam which has been recording low water levels.

SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Abdul Wahab Abdul Hamid (pic) said the project was provided for under the 11th Malaysian Plan.

“The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry is conducting feasibility studies on the proposed new dam in the area,” he said yesterday.

Abdul Wahab said there was no water source for the Congok dam except from the rain.

And for the past three years, there has been less rainfall causing the water level at the dam, which supplies water to 11,000 account holders, to decrease at an alarming rate.

“Normally, we are able to get about 1.8m to 2m of rainfall within a year but due to the El Nino effect, we received about one third of rain water causing the situation to worsen,” he added.

He also pointed out that the Congok dam was not big and that the authorities were taking proactive measures to solve the water woes by deepening it to double its storage capabilities.

He said the state government, through the Johor Water Regulating Body, hoped to conduct water transfer from Sungai Lenggor to Congok dam.

He said a consultant had been appointed to oversee the project where a 27kmlong pipeline would be installed to channel the water.

On the water woes in Kluang, Abdul Wahab said that SAJ had been given permission by the National Water Services Commission to carry out scheduled water supply until Sept 14 to about 56,000 account holders.

The water level at Sungai Sembrong Kiri has decreased causing treatment plants at Sembrong Timur and Sembrong Barat to be affected.

Heavy rainfalls that occurred in the past several days had increased the water level at the river slightly and the situation was still being monitored, he said, adding that the RM100mil Kahang dam was expected to be completed next year.