Large dams not the solution to Sabah’s water needs, says geologist

KOTA KINABALU: An assurance by a minister that Sabah’s Babagon Dam is completely safe has not convinced a former geology professor that such large structures are the way forward to resolve the state’s perennial water woes.

Water catchment specialist Dr Felix Tongkul said if there were other alternatives to resolve the water needs in Sabah such as establishing reservoirs, then buiding large dams was unnecessary.

“As I have said before, large dams have risks and a limited lifespan. Once a dam is silted, its use will be minimal. And if not maintained regularly afterwards, it can potentially become an unnecessary hazard,” he said Saturday (Oct 7).

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Dams are also costlier compared to coastal reservoirs, added the former Universiti Malaysia Sabah lecturer.

Tongkul said this was because the rate of siltation from rivers is difficult to control compared to reservoirs.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya had said earlier this week that the Babagon Dam in Penampang near here was in no danger of failure.

Shahelmey, who is also state Works Minister, said the dam operated by private water producer Jetama Sdn Bhd passed all necessary checks earlier this year.

Jetama and the Sabah Water Department, Shahelmey said, had provided the report to him as Babagon was among eight dams in the country that could possibly face failure following checks by the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry.

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The last surveillance report was in February, he said, adding that it was done by an independent qualified consultant.

The report submitted to the federal ministry was based on checks carried out by June last year, he added.

Babagon Dam in Penampang was built in 1994 and is a major water source for the west coast of the state, including the capital.

It was reported in August that the state government will proceed with a feasibility study on a dam in Papar or Kaiduan as another long-term solution to Sabah’s water woes and to cater for the needs of investors.

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Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had said the study was to establish whether to build the dam in Papar or Kaiduan, which is in the neighbouring Penampang district.

This was met by strong opposition by two grassroots movements, namely the Taskforce Against Kaiduan Dam (Takad) and Save Papar River (SPR).

Both urged the government to review the plan and consider other alternatives such as coastal reservoirs.

Besides Tongkul, former MPs Datuk Donald Mojuntin and Awang Husaini Sahari, as well as International Water Association (IWA) members Datuk Dr Amarjit Singh and Lim Sin Poh, have also supported the call for such reservoirs to meet Sabah’s water needs.