21-07-2025
Perak wants federal action on Sungai Perak-Bukit Merah water project
IPOH: The state government has called on the federal government to expedite the water transfer project from Sungai Perak to Bukit Merah Lake, citing recurring droughts and the current infeasibility of cloud seeding operations.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the state is ready to play a more active role in tackling ongoing water shortages, particularly those affecting northern Perak's agricultural zones.
"We really hope the federal government will be able to accelerate the process. Initially, our request was specifically to solve irrigation issues in the northern part of Perak.
"But with the establishment of KIGIP (Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park), and with requests coming from Penang, the project was packaged together.
"So now, it's not just about transferring water from Sungai Perak to Bukit Merah, but also about supplying water to a treatment plant," he said.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the Perak State Government's 2025 Mesra Customer Engagement Programme at Stadium Indera Mulia, here.
He added that the project would ensure a clean water supply for residents in northern Perak, with any surplus to be sold as treated water to Penang.
"The project was packaged as a whole, but we are urging the federal government to speed it up, because we face the same problem every year," he said.
Saarani said that cloud seeding is currently not viable due to unfavorable weather patterns and technical constraints, such as unpredictable wind directions.
"In 2022, cloud seeding was carried out in the Bukit Merah area, but the rain fell in residential areas instead of the targeted reservoir.
"That happened because of wind direction. The rain didn't fall into the Bukit Merah reservoir, it ended up on people's homes, and understandably, they were angry," he said.
He added that the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) has reportedly begun evaluating whether cloud seeding is viable under current conditions but, the Meteorological Department has advised against it.
"They say it's not suitable now because they can't determine whether the rain will fall in the intended area, especially over Bukit Merah Lake. We don't want to waste resources on something that won't work," he said.
When asked how the state government would assist farmers if cloud seeding could not be conducted, Saarani said the state is turning to alternative water sources, including rivers that still have flow.
"The alternative water supply initiative is currently being tapped to support affected areas," he said.
According to data from the Perak Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), the reservoir has reached Irrigation Critical Level 3, with water levels now 6.1 meter.
