Perak Wants Sungai Perak- Tasik Bukit Merah Water Transfer Project Expedited

IPOH, July 21 (Bernama) — The Perak government has urged the Federal Government to expedite the implementation of the water transfer project from Sungai Perak to Tasik Bukit Merah to address water supply shortages, especially during the dry season.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the project is not only crucial for solving paddy field irrigation problems in northern Perak but also for meeting the demand for clean water to support the development of the Integrated Rubber Industrial Area (KIGIP).

“Previously, our request for this project (water from Sungai Perak to Tasik Bukit Merah) was specifically to resolve irrigation issues for paddy fields in the north of Perak.

“However, now it’s not just about that. The purpose of this project also includes supporting the construction of a new water treatment plant (WTP), enabling us to supply water for KIGIP’s use, for people in northern Perak, and any surplus can be sold to Penang,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters at a press conference after attending the fifth edition of the 2025 Customer Day Programme at Stadium Indera Mulia here today.

According to a report on July 15 in Utusan,  Pertubuhan Persaudaraan Pesawah Malaysia (Pesawah) Deputy Chairman Azhar Hashim called on the government to expedite the project’s implementation to ensure adequate water supply for agricultural purposes, particularly paddy cultivation.

Commenting on the proposed cloud seeding operation in the area, Saarani said the matter needs to be referred to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), as it depends on technical factors such as wind direction and cloud formation.

“For now, the Meteorological Department has advised that this is not the right time because of unpredictable wind directions which may affect whether the rain will fall into Tasik Bukit Merah. We don’t want the effort to be in vain,” he said.

He added that, for now, farmers in the affected areas have to rely on water supply from nearby rivers managed by the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (IADA) as a temporary measure.

 -- BERNAMA