KOTA KINABALU: Sabah needs to have the Kaiduan Dam constructed within the next three years to ensure continuous water supply in the west coast, said Infrastructure Development Minister Tan Sri Joseph.
He disclosed that the Babagon Dam has barely enough water to meet the present demands. And the Babagon Dam is said to have already suffered a decrease in water reserve of about five meters due to the current drought. Hence, the urgency to have the Kaiduan Dam.
“The Kaiduan Dam will be able to supply water to millions, from KK (Kota Kinabalu) to Papar to Kinarut, Tuaran and beyond. If we don’t have it, we will have a bad water crisis by 2030. For this, we need to take into consideration our water supply as well as the needs of the entire Sabah. The demand will increase, hence, the further need to have the dam. Consumption will increase, hence, we also need to increase our storage capacity. We must be able to save our fresh water from flowing directly into the sea and disappear just like that,” he said.
Pairin who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said this during an interview after launching the State-level World Water Day Conference and Exhibition 2015 held at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa near here yesterday.
He added that Sabah must be ready with its facilities prior to the projected water crisis in 2050.
“If you notice, there is a report by the United Nations indicating that by 2050, we will all suffer from water shortage by 40 percent. And by 2030, we will be faced with critical water shortage in this region,” he said.
He added that it was because of this that the State Government wanted to make early preparation to help it conserve water and meet the growing demand that will surely happen in the future.
“We need to make preparations early. If we continue as we are now, we will all be dried up by then. That is why we need to act fast,” he said.
Pairin also said that they have conducted their investigation on the best site to construct the dam. The site, he said, would be able to supply enough water to address the shortage that the State will be faced with. That area is in Kaiduan.
He added that there was no doubt that the impending water shortage facing Sabah was critical.
“Even now we can feel it. We cannot take this very lightly,” he said.
Pairin was Chief Minister when the Babagon Dam was constructed in the early 1990s and had also received plenty of objections then.
Looking back at the period, Pairin said that if the State Government had not proceeded with the construction of the Babagon Dam then, Sabah would have been faced with severe water crisis, particularly during the 1998 drought.
“We were lucky to have that dam…if we didn’t have it, the entire KK area to Papar and Tuaran will face water shortages,” he said.
Not only has the Babagon Dam helped in supplying ample water during dry seasons, it has also lessened the incidences of flooding in the West Coast, he said.
“I remember during the severe floods (prior to the construction of the Babagon Dam), we had to use boats to inspect the flood situation in Kinarut…the dam has also been a good form of flood control,” he said.
Pairin reiterated that Sabah is in dire need to start constructing the Kaiduan Dam and said that if it can be done in three years, it would be very good.
“We need to make some headway,” he said, adding the government is facing similar objections to the Kaiduan Dam plan.
“Our focus on the project is not to create problems for the people but we want to help the people. More than a million people will be using this water. Of course now there is a controversy — the NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and the opposition. But we need to look at all the avenues and the benefits for the people as a whole.”
He promised that State Government will also focus on the villagers who would have to be resettled.
“We have already considered that when they are relocated, they will be moved to a better place. The focus is already there. We are working on that…we will provide them with better infrastructure and access to economic activities,” he said.
“We hope that those who object will think again about the benefit of the Kaiduan Dam project.”
He reminded of the benefits the people have received from the Babagon Dam which supplies water from Tuaran to Papar besides providing flood control.
“All this should be taken into account and the project should be received positively by the public,” he said.
He added that they will soon arrange dialogue sessions with the villagers as well as with those opposing the project.
“Right now we are already facing the water shortage. There are already applications from relevant parties asking for water trucks to come. We need to acknowledge that there is a problem and that we need to resolve it together,” he said.