KUANTAN: The federal government has given the Selangor government time until the end of this year to resolve the issue over construction of a plant to treat water to be channelled from Pahang under a raw water transfer project.
ALL EARS : Chin (left) listens to Soffi Abdul Razak’s explaination during a visit to the construction site of the Kobat Dam. — Bernama photo
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said yesterday the federal government had several options if there was no positive response from the Selangor government by the deadline.
He did not disclose the options when asked to comment on the willingness of the Pahang government to build a water treatment plant on Pahang soil for the purpose.
Chin said the best site for the plant was in Selangor, as proposed in Hulu Langat, as it would be near to the points of demand — Selangor and the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
He said it was important that the construction of the Hulu Langat plant be expedited to match the schedule for transfer of raw water from Sungai Semantan in Pahang beginning 2014.
The federal government was concerned that Selangor’s delay tactic would jeopardise constant supply of clean water to Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, he told reporters after a visit to the construction site of the Kobat Dam near here.
“We commend the Pahang government’s offer, made by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, to build a water treatment plant in the state if the Selangor government continues to delay the construction of such a facility in Hulu Langat.
“What we are more concerned about is the synchronisation of the necessary measures to be implemented by both states for smooth supply of the water to the three areas as soon as the project is completed in 2014,” he said.
Chin said several meetings were held with the Selangor government, but they had yet to result in any constructive decision.
He said the tender for the construction of the water treatment plant should have been awarded last month.
Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, in reply to Adnan’s offer on Monday to build the plant on Pahang soil, but Selangor did not think that the plant, estimated to cost more than RM8 billion, was a necessity now as he state had enough water until 2019.
He was quoted as saying that the project to transfer raw water between the two states should also be postponed temporarily until Selangor’s water restructuring exercise had been completed. — Bernama