Mada sounds warning as Kedah dam levels fall to 35pc

Water levels at three key irrigation dams in Kedah have plummeted to a combined average of 35.76 percent, creating a significant hurdle for paddy farmers as they prepare for the upcoming planting season. The Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) reported that the Pedu Dam sits at 36.99 percent, the Ahning Dam at 44.33 percent, and the Muda Dam at an alarmingly low 11.88 percent. With these reduced reserves, irrigation for the next planting season will largely rely on rainfall.

This predicament is anticipated to worsen, as the Malaysian Meteorological Department predicts an 96 percent chance of an El Nino event towards the year's end. Such a phenomenon could escalate into a more severe phase, bringing hot and arid weather and exacerbating the risk of water scarcity. The Mada committee has set September 23 as the official start of the second planting season, which is divided into three phases: Phase One from September 23 to November 4, Phase Two from October 3 to November 14, and Phase Three from October 13 to November 24.

During the first planting season, crops in 100,641 hectares of fields were in various stages of growth, with 100 percent in final flowering and harvesting, 99 percent in land preparation, and 98.4 percent in planting. However, as of September 16, progress towards harvest had only reached 9.3 percent. In response to the situation, Mada has urged farmers to conserve water, stating that the authority will bolster irrigation efforts in affected areas by maximizing drain water recycling and utilizing mobile pumps on-site.