Langat 2 will be in limbo if S'gor uncooperative

The proposed Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (Langat 2) project will be in a limbo if the Selangor government still remains reluctant to give its consent for it, said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui.

He said the Selangor state government's refusal to cooperate in the project would cause the people in Klang Valley to face a serious water crisis in future.

"We are asking the Selangor government to give its consent because the Pahang government has started the construction of the water tunnel to enable raw water from the state to be channeled to Selangor.

"If the construction of Langat 2 starts now, the plant can be ready by 2014 and the process of channeling raw water can be implemented smoothly," Chin told reporters after launching the GreenTech:1 Identity in Putrajaya today.

The initial phase of the RM8.65 billion project was approved by the Selangor government when it was led by BN, but the following phases were put on hold after the opposition took over the state in the 2008 general election.

Peter Chin said the project was aimed at fulfilling the needs of clean water in the Klang Valley (Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) up to 2025.

"It is possible (to have an alternative for the project) but it will be very costly. We have to use some logic to tackle this issue," he said.

He said the existence of natural water sources in Selangor as claimed by the state government should not be disturbed as they could function as back-up supplies during water crisis.

"I know there are lakes, rivers and underground water sources in Selangor to fulfill consumers' demands, but let's keep them intact and only use them when we are facing unusual drought or water crises," he said.

Hence, he said the most brilliant thing to do was to allow the Langat 2 project to be fully implemented so that the consumers would never have to face water shortage.

-Bernama