MALAYSIAN GOVT SHOULD REFRAIN FROM TAPPING INTO UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 (Bernama) -- Water expert Prof Chan Ngai Weng wants the
Malaysian government to refrain from tapping into underground water resources
and instead, reserve the supply for use by the future generation.

Chan, from the Universiti Sains Malaysia's (a local university in northern
Penang state in Peninsular Malaysia) school of humanities, pointed out
that mining underground water without proper planning and technology could lead
to environmental hazard.

Refusing to provide details, he said the government was currently approving
several licences for underground water mining.

"If there is no proper management, it could lead to over-mining and cause
the
earth to sink and pose a big environmental problem.

"(Therefore) Malaysia should focus on managing and sustaining its surface
water
resources in a more holistic manner," said Chan, adding that 97 per cent of the
country's water supply was from rivers while the rest was from an underground
source mainly mined in Kelantan.

He was speaking to reporters after presenting a paper themed,
'Sustainability of Water Resources - The Need to Balance Water Supply Management
and Water Demand Management' at a Water Resources Management seminar here.

Chan, who is also Water Watch Penang president, said it was not cost-
effective to mine water from underground sources as it could cost up to five
times more than the normal process which engaged rivers.

Earlier, in his presentation, Chan said that more comprehensive water demand
management must be implemented and adopted by all levels of the society to
face the growing concerns related to water resources.

"Many river basins in the country have also reached their limits of maximum
capacities where the drainage and irrigation department had estimated that at
least 25 river basins nationwide are currently experiencing water stress as they
had reached their maximun supply capacities," he added.

Meanwhile, another panelist, S. Piarapakaran, from the Water and Energy
Consumer Association of Malaysia said the Malaysian public should be educated on
water saving through frequent water drill.

-- BERNAMA