A little low: As of yesterday, water capacity at both the Air Itam and Teluk Bahang dams was at 28% and 25.5%, respectively. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
KANGAR: The relentless hot spell and cloudless skies are crippling agriculture here, forcing farmers to cease their agricultural operations abruptly.
The extreme conditions have left their fields parched, threatening the state’s crop production and the livelihoods of those who depend on it.
Despite the occasional rain in the past week, irrigation canals provide only a trickle because the state’s only dam, Timah Tasoh, caters to both irrigation and tap water.
“There was rainfall but it was only enough for domestic use. The rainwater is insufficient to fill up our river and irrigation canals,” said Khairil Anuar Safar.
The 52-year-old padi farmer from Kampung Belukar said even if the rain came in the last week of August, it would be too late for the second season of padi planting commencing in the first week of September.
Khairil Anuar said padi farmers had already suffered thousands of ringgit in losses due to the prolonged hot season.
He hopes the state government can liaise with federal agencies to help farmers here to cope with the losses.
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“Our crops won’t grow. The hot and dry weather has dragged on for too long. We can only hope the government can help us so that we can survive into the next season and plant again,” he said.
Another farmer Abdul Wahab Saadin, 60, said some farmers in Perlis were praying that heavy rains would return in the next few weeks so that fields planted later had some chance to bear fruit.
“We have lost thousands of ringgit. We can’t afford to lose more,” he said.
Abdul Wahab said it was not anyone’s fault as the weather was simply bad this year but he expressed hope that the government would show empathy and offer some assistance.
Perlis agriculture committee chairman Razali Saad said although there was rain in the state over the past two weeks, it was not at the catchment area.
“Even when rain fell in catchment areas, it is not enough to fill up Timah Tasoh dam,” he said.
Razali said efforts are being made by the state government to request the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to conduct cloud seeding operations over Perlis.
He said a letter was sent to Nadma two weeks ago and they were awaiting a response.
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Razali said although padi farmers were suffering, the national rice supply was expected to remain constant because other states such as Kedah and Penang were able to produce rice through effective irrigation.
He also said a meeting would be held with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry’s padi industry development division director-general Datuk Azman Mahmood soon to discuss the plight of farmers in the state.
“Among the issues to be discussed are padi farmers’ welfare, food security and the urgent need for cloud seeding operations,” he said.
Razali said the state was planning to conduct solat hajat (prayer of need) to ask for rain.
Data from the publicinfobanjir website shows the water level of Timah Tasoh dam is at 26.87m, below its normal level of 29.1m.
Domestic water use is reported to be enough.
In George Town, the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is balancing water storage in the state’s dams until the rain comes.
ALSO READ: Mohamad Sabu urges padi industry to brace for hotter weather next year
Its chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan said PBAPP would adopt an approach of decreasing the number of drawdowns from Air Itam and Teluk Bahang dams.
“To compensate for the reduction of the drawdowns number, water would be taken from the Sungai Dua water treatment plant,” he said.
He said there were other methods such as diverting water from Titi Kerawang to Teluk Bahang dam to cope with the needs of consumers.
Pathmanathan said while hoping that September would be a wet month, PBAPP would use any means necessary to maintain the water level.
He said PBAPP was also awaiting the next course of action from Nadma on cloud seeding operations in the state.
As of yesterday, water capacity at both Air Itam and Teluk Bahang dams was at 28% and 25.5%, respectively.
The water level at the Mengkuang dam on the mainland is currently at 86.2%.
A reading of 29.99% and below indicates a dangerous level.
The warning level is between 30% and 59.99% while the normal level is 60% and above.
