Friday October 17, 2008
Taps run dry due to burst pipes
By GEETHA KRISHNAN
THREE pipes channelling water to the Semenyih plant burst yesterday, disrupting supply to 75,000 households in the Sepang, Kuala Langat and Hulu Langat districts with 350,000 residents.
In its statement, Syabas said the 150cm, 120cm and 105cm-sized pipes at Kampung Revolusi Hijau in Sepang were damaged due to suspected sand-mining activities carried out by a third party.
Following the 7.15am incident, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) issued a code red alert for the areas.
Syabas operations executive director V. Subramaniam who was at the site said it would take between three days to a week for water supply to be restored.
“A combination of sand-mining activities and erosion contributed to the damage to the pipes. Due to this, we have to lay a new line of pipes.
Erosion and sand-mining: A combination of the activities led to the burst water pipes which disrupted supply to 75,000 households in Sepang, Kuala Langat and Hulu Langat.
“The new line will be longer and would require realignment. It would take a lot of work and we also need to mobilise the machinery and source for spare pipes,” he added.
Subramaniam added that a police report had been lodged over the matter and said Syabas would also inform the Selangor state government on the sand-mining activity.
Meanwhile, Syabas contractors will start work immediately.
Kampung Revolusi Hijau resident Mat Yusof Ibrahim said the sand-mining activity had been going on for five years and only stopped briefly during the recent clampdown. It however resumed recently.
“Water supply to my house has been disrupted since morning and we have to rely on the tankers to get here soon,” he added.
Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) senior general manager of operation services Datuk Azmi Murad said the water reserve at the airport was now at 3.7m.
“Our optimum capacity is 5m and our critical stage is 1.5m. We have made arrangements with Syabas that if it gets critical, tankers will be supplied and water will be channelled from the reservoir near the airport,” he said.
Under the initiated Emergency Rescue Procedure, water tankers will be despatched to 35 areas in Hulu Langat with 30,000 households; 27 areas in Kuala Langat with 25,000 households and 13 areas in Sepang with 20,000 households.
As the first step, Syabas has mobilised 33 tankers to supply water to the affected areas. Nine more lorries have been put on standby. To ease consumers burden further, 438 static tanks will be placed in soon-to-be identified areas.
A 24-hour crisis centre has been set up and more information can be obtained via the toll-free Puspel customer service 1-800-88-5252.
Taps run dry due to burst pipes
By GEETHA KRISHNAN
THREE pipes channelling water to the Semenyih plant burst yesterday, disrupting supply to 75,000 households in the Sepang, Kuala Langat and Hulu Langat districts with 350,000 residents.
In its statement, Syabas said the 150cm, 120cm and 105cm-sized pipes at Kampung Revolusi Hijau in Sepang were damaged due to suspected sand-mining activities carried out by a third party.
Following the 7.15am incident, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) issued a code red alert for the areas.
Syabas operations executive director V. Subramaniam who was at the site said it would take between three days to a week for water supply to be restored.
“A combination of sand-mining activities and erosion contributed to the damage to the pipes. Due to this, we have to lay a new line of pipes.
Erosion and sand-mining: A combination of the activities led to the burst water pipes which disrupted supply to 75,000 households in Sepang, Kuala Langat and Hulu Langat.
“The new line will be longer and would require realignment. It would take a lot of work and we also need to mobilise the machinery and source for spare pipes,” he added.
Subramaniam added that a police report had been lodged over the matter and said Syabas would also inform the Selangor state government on the sand-mining activity.
Meanwhile, Syabas contractors will start work immediately.
Kampung Revolusi Hijau resident Mat Yusof Ibrahim said the sand-mining activity had been going on for five years and only stopped briefly during the recent clampdown. It however resumed recently.
“Water supply to my house has been disrupted since morning and we have to rely on the tankers to get here soon,” he added.
Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) senior general manager of operation services Datuk Azmi Murad said the water reserve at the airport was now at 3.7m.
“Our optimum capacity is 5m and our critical stage is 1.5m. We have made arrangements with Syabas that if it gets critical, tankers will be supplied and water will be channelled from the reservoir near the airport,” he said.
Under the initiated Emergency Rescue Procedure, water tankers will be despatched to 35 areas in Hulu Langat with 30,000 households; 27 areas in Kuala Langat with 25,000 households and 13 areas in Sepang with 20,000 households.
As the first step, Syabas has mobilised 33 tankers to supply water to the affected areas. Nine more lorries have been put on standby. To ease consumers burden further, 438 static tanks will be placed in soon-to-be identified areas.
A 24-hour crisis centre has been set up and more information can be obtained via the toll-free Puspel customer service 1-800-88-5252.
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