IPOH, June 19 — The Perak Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) is still implementing scheduled water rationing after the water level at the Bukit Merah Dam dropped to a critical level yesterday.

Perak JPS director Ahmad Shahrir Md Naziri, however, gave assurance that the domestic water supply for residents in Kerian will not be disrupted.

"So far, we are still implementing water rationing, but the domestic supply for residents in Kerian is running as usual,” he told Bernama when contacted, today.

Yesterday, the Kerian District JPS Office issued a statement on its social media platform, informing that the water level at the Bukit Merah Dam has reached Stage 2 critical level of 6.706m and that they were hoping for rainfall in the catchment area to replenish the dam’s water level.

Meanwhile, in a statement today, Perak JPS said that there has been rainfall in the catchment area over the past 24 hours, contributing to the increase in the dam’s water level.

As of this morning, it said the water level at Bukit Merah Dam has risen to 6.965m with a storage capacity of 18.70 million cubic metres, bringing it to Stage 1 critical level.

"This means that despite the water rationing, the domestic supply of water has not been disrupted,” the statement read.

Nevertheless, it said Perak JPS had also filed an application to the state government to carry out cloud seeding operations through the Kerian District Disaster Management Secretariat in a letter dated June 1.

Meanwhile, state Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said JPS was still waiting for approval from the Perak State Secretary’s office on the cloud seeding operations application.

"For immediate action, JPS and Kerian IADA (Integrated Agricultural Development Area) have set up mobile pumps at critical locations for the purpose of irrigation in the fields,” he said in a statement. — Bernama