KOTA KINABALU: The state government has taken steps to prepare for El Nino which is predicted to last for six months from June to September.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin said this would include ensuring that there is sufficient water supply for consumers and the agricultural community in the state.
Yahya, who is also Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, when met after visiting the site for the proposed SK Petagas and SMK Petagas in his constituency yesterday, said this when asked what steps the government would be taking in preparation for El Nino which the Meteorological Department had predicted could be happening from the middle of this year.
“We do not know which areas in Sabah will be affected but we have taken preventive measures like ensuring there will be sufficient water supply for farmers. We are also creating awareness among the farming community not to waste water,” he said.
Yahya who is also Petagas assemblyman, also advised the public to do their part in conserving water by using it sparingly and also to report any incidence of pipe leaks to reduce the wastage.
“Water shortage will affect all of us so we want to prevent this,” he said.
The government has set up a special cabinet committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to face the weather phenomenon from June to September.
The World Meteorological Organisation has also predicted that El Nino could persist from six to 18 months, and if this were to happen it would worsen the water supply situation in the country.