PAPAR: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said a RM4 billion  Hydroelectric Dam will be built at Ulu Padas, Tenom as a long-term solution to the water  shortage in Sabah. 

To be launched in October, he said the dam expected to be completed in 2027 will have  a capacity of 6,000 million litres daily (MLD). 

"It is a joint-venture project between the State Government through Sabah Energy  Corporation and the private sector," he said after launching the Phase II Kogopon Water  Treatment Plant project here today. 

The State Government is also currently conducting a feasibility study on the Papar or  Kaiduan Dam as another long-term solution to the water shortage problem and to cater  for the needs of investors, he said. 

On the water supply problem in Tuaran up to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), the Chief  Minister said it is expected to be resolved by end of this year once teething issues  affecting the Telibong Water Treatment Plant II project were addressed. 

Hajiji assured that the State Government is making every effort to address the water  woes including in Sandakan, Tawau and Lahad Datu. 

Meanwhile the Kogopon Water Treatment Plant will undergo RM379 million upgrading  works under its Phase II development to boost production capacity to 80 million litres  daily (MLD) benefiting some 160,000 consumers in Putatan, Kinarut, Lok Kawi and the  vicinity. 

He said the project will increase water supply coverage to cater for industrial demands,  particularly the Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) and the Sabah Agro-Industrial  Precinct (SAIP) under the Sabah Development Corridor up to 2040. 

"It would help to address water shortage in the southern West Coast," he said. 

Hajiji also instructed the Water Department to strictly monitor the project's progress to  ensure it would be completed according to schedule three years from now.

"I do not want to see the project delayed and the people ended up being denied water supply," he said. 

Earlier, the Chief Minister was briefed that the Kogopon Water Treatment Plant  presently has a production capacity of 40MLD and that the upgrading project would  increase production by another 40MLD. 

Among the project scopes were the construction of a new treatment plant (40 MLD  capacity), Balancing Reservoir with a capacity of 10 million litres, three distribution tanks  in Kimanis, Kampung Nagapas (Papar) and Kampung Ketiau (Putatan) and an  upgrading of the water intake. 

Also present were Deputy Chief Minister III/Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya,  Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Assistant Works  Ministers Datuk Limus Juri and Datuk Robert Tawik, Kawang Assemblyman Datuk  Ghulam Haidar Bahadar Khan, Limbahau Assemblyman Datuk Juil Nuatim, Works  Ministry Permanent Secretary Datuk Ridhwan Roger Linus and Water Director Suhaimi  Asbullah. 

Ends