PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government criticised lobbyists it alleged were pressuring local NGOs to push for the development of the Langat 2 water plant, stressing this was jeopardising public welfare.
Selangor state executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar told The Malay Mail the water tussle between the federal and state government was being orchestrated by certain groups for personal interests.
"I think the Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Water Association (Swan) should have made an attempt to talk with state authorities. Swan and others alike are being used by Syabas (Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd) and other parties to push for the approval of the Langat 2 water plant," he claimed.
Dr Jayakumar criticised Syabas for declaring the importance of the Langat 2 plant to avoid water disruption.
"I don't understand why they are blowing their horns now when the Langat 2 plant was planned to be completed by 2014 and ready by 2015. So the question of water rationing and shortages should not arise now.
"People say the water level in the Klang Valley is near zero. I don't understand the logic because the water levels at the dams are still high. If the water level is still high and the water intake at the 33 treatment plants are working to the maximum capacity then there shouldn't be any shortages," he said.
On Friday, Swan vice--president Aldric Loong Kim Yew said the Selangor government was "confused" and did not have the expertise to resolve the state's water problem.
Construction of the Langat 2 plant was scheduled to start in August last year and completed in May 2014 but the project has since stalled.
The project was to supply 1,890 million litres of raw water from Sungai Semantan in Pahang daily via a 44.6km tunnel through the Main Range to Selangor.
It was put on hold due to diff erences between the federal and state governments over the development order, land acquisition and water price.
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim told the state legislature that the Selangor government was studying a suggestion to treat water from former mining ponds as an alternative source of water.
