MELAKA, Jan 28 — The people in the state have been advised to take advantage of the water rationing scheduled for tomorrow.

Chief Minister Adly Zahari said the state government through the Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB) was now getting ready from all aspects including water tankers being placed on standby to provide water at the affected areas.

He said the rationing was implemented in order to ensure stability and for more water to collect in the dams in preparation for the hot and dry weather in the second phase of the North-east Monsoon which is expected to end in March.

"The dam level is now at 36 per cent and on average during the festive holiday season the rate drops due to the almost one per cent usage every day compared to 0.5 per cent on a normal day,” he told reporters after presenting the 2020 Early School Assistance at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Padang Temu, here, today.

In Melaka, RM14.41 million was allocated by the government via the Education Ministry to be distributed to 144,196 students in 315 schools.

SAMB in a statement today said 132 one-stop centres (OSCs) were set up in areas expected to have water rationing.

Of these, 97 OSCs will be located in Melaka Tengah, 19 in Alor Gajah and 16 in Jasin.

Melaka will be conducting daily water supply rationing starting tomorrow involving 550,673 people, which is 62.8 per cent of the state’s population, but the rationing does not involve hospitals, industrial areas and tourism centres. — Bernama