S’gor govt told to improve water management

THE Auditor-General has noted that the Selangor government should beef up its management of water resources.

Tan Sri Ambrin Buang cited several instances where water treatment plants were shut down due to contamination of raw water resources as an example.

Over the last six months, several treatment plants were closed due to ammonia contamination, earthworks and oil spills.

In an audit carried out between October 2015 and May 2016, Ambrin said works to measure the flow rate of the main rivers were not carried out to determine the availability of water at any given time.

“Efforts to add alternative water resources such as hybrid off-river augmentation system (Horas) ponds were only focused within the Selangor river basin. This initiative should be extended to Klang and Langat river basins,” he said in the report.

“The Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) was ineffective in conducting monitoring and preventing further deterioration of water resources as the inventory of pollution was not maintained.”

Ambrin recommended LUAS to be empowered as the lead agency to coordinate and manage all development activities to control the quantity and quality of the water resources.

“Licensing and enforcement should be carried out using Blue Ocean Strategy to promote creativity and innovation in services and foster cooperation of various agencies and departments to maximise the use of the existing resources.

“LUAS should also implement programmes to gazette water catchment areas comprehensively to ensure watershed protection.”