KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Jan: Disruption of water supply for 10 days in Gombak, Ampang and Cheras stems from the attitude of Selangor Water Supply Company (Syabas or Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor) of failing to maintain the pump houses that are under their care.
The water disruption could have been avoided if Syabas had maintained pump in the Wangsa Maju pump house since the beginning of last year and not in the event of water supply disruption, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
“We cannot accept Syabas’ excuse because the concession company should have made certain that all five pumps are in good condition.
“Periodic maintenance should also be conducted as it is a mandatory procedure prescribed in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
“The Selangor Government is regrets when Syabas linked the water supply disruptions with the Langat 2 Plant when it is not related at all,” said Abdul Khalid on a working visit to the Sei Melaka Flats in Cheras today.
Also present was the Selangor State Secretary, Datuk Mohamad Khusrin Munawi.
About 500,000 residents of the three areas mentioned experienced water supply disruptions for more than 10 days when the pump house in Wangsa Maju failed to operate.
Abdul Khalid said the Selangor Water Supply Monitoring Committee that visited the pump house on 2 January found that four out of five pumps were damaged while one pump was being serviced and was not operational.
He said that claims made by Syabas that all pumps were operating above limits until it encountered damage, is not acceptable.
“Over the past year, the pump was operating above 200 million litre per day for only 18 days, with the pumps average flow rate at 182.204 litre per day,” he said.
He said that the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has to view this problem seriously an to accelerate the restructuring process so that the Selangor Government can take over the water supply services.
Resident, K Manoharan, 57, explained that the problem was faced in the past 10 days.
“Of course this problem disturbs us and we hope it is resolved soon.
“Last Wednesday Syabas promised to solve it but there was water for only two to three days, after that the problem continued,” he said when met.
Mazlan Kidam also hopes that the State Government immediately solve the problem because it is burdensome.
“When this problem arises we have to struggle to haul water that is provided by temporary pumps,” he said while telling of similar problems 13 years ago.