K'tan govt to blame for residents' reliance on boreholes, says NGO
PETALING JAYA : Environmental group Peka has accused the Kelantan government of providing inadequate water infrastructure for its residents, forcing them to rely on wells and boreholes as their primary source of water.
Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan said this reliance on boreholes forces residents to depend on underground sources without sufficient monitoring or regulatory safeguards.
His remarks follow an Utusan Malaysia report that around 600,000 Kelantan residents who rely on wells and boreholes may face long-term health issues due to the high iron and manganese content in the groundwater.
The report quoted the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia as saying iron levels in Bachok and Kota Bharu had reached 3.79 mg/l, while manganese levels had reached 0.76 mg/l, far above the health ministry's standards of 0.3 mg/l and 0.1 mg/l, respectively.
Responding to the report, Kelantan deputy menteri besar Fadzli Hassan said the state government was ready to work with the state health department to examine the levels of these substances.
He said immediate action would be taken if a serious health hazard was found.
However, Rajesh said the government should instead work to provide clean, treated and piped water.
'Water from boreholes may, and do, contain elevated levels of iron and manganese, which can lead to serious long-term health risks, particularly for children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
'These risks include Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, mitochondrial dysfunction, cardiovascular issues, as well as various respiratory and neurological disorders,' he said.
Rajesh suggested that the state also emulate Thailand in harvesting rainwater as a sustainable water source, given Malaysia's abundant rainfall.
'In Thailand, schools, homes, and government buildings are equipped with rooftop collection systems, filtration units, and storage tanks to supply clean rainwater throughout the year.
'This approach reduces pressure on the supply of piped water,' he said.
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