RAIN BRINGS RESPITE FOR MELAKA FOLK
Downpour ends two-week dry spell, may end water disruption and clears up hazy air
AFTER a two-week dry spell, rain finally fell in Melaka on Monday and yesterday, bringing relief to the state’s residents who have had to contend not just with taps running dry, but also the effects of the transboundary haze.
But Melaka is not out of the woods yet. A total of 28 schools in the state have been affected by water disruptions that hit three districts since early this month.
State Education director Datuk Abu Bakar Sahari said Melaka Tengah district recorded the highest number of affected schools at 23, followed by three in Jasin and two in Alor Gajah.
Affected schools in Melaka Tengah were SJK(C) Malim, SJK(C) Yu Hwa, SJK(C) Bachang, SJK(C) St Mary, SJK(T) Melaka Kubu, SK Bachang, SJK(C) Keh Seng, SK Jalan Datuk Palembang, SK Batu Berendam 2 and SK Peringgit.
Also affected were SK Tambak Paya, SJK(C) Cheng, SK Taman Bukit Rambai, SJK(C) Pay Fong 2 & 3, SK Pantai Kundor, SK Perempuan Methodist 2, SJK(C) Siang Lin, SJK(C) Notre Dame, SJK(C) Yu Ying, SK Paya Redan, SJK(C) Tiang Dua and SK Taman Merdeka.
Affected schools in Jasin were SK Kemendor, SMA Assyakirin and SMK Selandar, while in in Alor Gajah, they were SMK Sultan Mansor Shah and SMK Tebong.
Abu Bakar said most cases reported to the state Education Office were related to water supply shortage and low water pressure.
He said the department was working closely with Syarikat Air Melaka Bhd (SAMB) to provide scheduled water supply.
“However, classes are continuing as usual, although some schools still have to deal with water issues.”
Melaka residents were cautiously optimistic that the rain would signal better days ahead.
Pensioner Zaidi Ahmad, 41, said continuous rain would replenish the water at dams and reverse the worrying drop in levels.
“Alhamdulillah, the rain finally came yesterday (Monday) after almost two weeks. I hope Melaka folk will continue to pray for rain. When I woke up this morning, I felt fresh because it has been some time since we had good quality air like this,” the Bukit Katil resident told Bernama yesterday.
Also glad was food entrepreneur Nastasya Saffiya Abdullah, 30, who said the rain was a welcome relief and an answer to people’s prayers.
“I pray the rain will fall continuously to end the woes of the people who have had to wait for tanker lorries and carry heavy buckets of water for a week.”
SAMB, on its website, said continuous rain would allow dams to reach the water spillover level to resolve the water supply disruption in the state.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department had said the monsoon shift, which heralded the arrival of the northeast wind, would lead to more frequent rainfall.
The rain in Melaka meant that plans to implement water rationing had been shelved.
SAMB chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Khalid Nasir confirmed that the company had sent an application to the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) on Sunday.
“SPAN has yet to approve the application, so we cannot proceed with water rationing. But as Melaka has twice received heavy rainfall, it’s safe to say we can drop the application.”