Last year we had seen woes after woes hitting the water supply services of Selangor, ranging from dry spells to the Sungai Selangor oil spill. Just recently, during Chinese New Year, one of the most important festive seasons in Malaysia, major water disruptions occurred at several places at Hulu Langat and Kuala Langat due to ammonium contamination at Sungai Langat.
While the predicament for safe, clean and continuous water supply is clear, unfortunately, the solutions are not. Following the failure of the state to restructure its water and the announcement of the continuation of Langat 2, the people are unsure when and how the issue would be settled.
Amidst all this, it was announced that Selangor state government would carry out Hybrid Off-River Augmentation System (HORAS) at the Selangor River to ensure water availability during drier months.
It is undeniable that water restructuring of water supply services is vital in ensuring the sustainability of clean and safe water supply in the state. However, the people are shrouded in uncertainty on whether the takeover of Selangor’s water supply by the federal government would actually speed up the restructuring process or otherwise.
An action plan with a solid timeline to complete the water restructuring process in Selangor should be made available by the federal government.
It was subsequently announced that the long suspended Langat 2 project is to be resumed. Langat 2 is often associated with high expenditures, and thus as an alternative to the Langat 2 project, the Selangor state government had proposed HORAS to be done at the Selangor River.
A detailed explanation on what is HORAS and how would it affects the environment and natural water cycle is necessary since information related to the project has not been made public. An environmental impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis on the proposed HORAS project should be done to justify its commencement.
In conclusion, the water sector restructuring process in Selangor should take place as soon as possible in order to ensure the sustainability of clean and safe water supply. Also, any developments such as Langat 2 and HORAS should always take into consideration the consumers’ interests and long-term sustainability of the water services industry.
MATHINI ARVEENA RAVEE is research and policy executive, Water and Sanitation Services Forum Air Malaysia (Malaysian Water Forum).
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