SHAH ALAM, 22 Apr: The Selangor Government is actively intensifying efforts to increase the level of raw water, especially in the Sungai Selangor Dam, which supplies 60 percent of water to the Klang Valley.

This is in preparation for the dry season, which is expected to get worse from May to the end of September this year.

The Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, said that the Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS), in collaboration with Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KKSB), is exploring former mining ponds in the area of the Sungai Selangor Basin.

This is to pump raw water from the former mining reservoirs to Sungai Selangor.

As of 20 April 2014, the Sungai Selangor Dam level continued to fall below 40 percent, with 89.29 million cubic metres or 38.82 percent of raw water storage compared to 235.32 million cubic metres if the dam is full at 100 percent.

“This way, the release of water from the Sungai Selangor Dam can be reduced and water in the dam can last longer,” Abdul Khalid said in a press statement.

Abdul Khalid said that LUAS and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) are also carrying river water pumping activities from the heavy rainfall to be stored in reservoirs around Sungai Selangor to be used in the dry season.

“We will identify to buy pumps capable of doing this compared to renting pumps from other parties because it is more economical,” said Abdul Khalid.