Diterbitkan: 2010/2/22 – The Star

By Wong Pek Mei

KUALA LUMPUR: The current dry spell is not alarming but the public needs to take efforts to ensure that it does not worsen, Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said.

He said the public must take precautionary steps such as not carrying out open burning and conserving water despite having enough resources untill May.

"I encourage the public to use recycled water to water their plants and for washing (if it does not require direct tap water)," Kurup told reporters yesterday at the launch of the Marine Parks Programme at Zoo Negara on Saturday.

"Rainwater harvesting is also encouraged as it can be used for domestic cleaning," Kurup added.

It was reported yesterday in The Star that no rain has been forecast in Perlis, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, west Johor dan Sabah over the next week.

The dry spell is expected to last untill May due the El Nino phenomenon which has brought drier than usual weather conditions.

Several dams and rivers have recorded low water levels including the Bekok dam in Johor which has less than 1% of its water left.