THE Selangor government spends a staggering RM14mil a month on its free water programme yet the deserving 30% who are poor do not benefit.
Since Selangor introduced free water for the first 20 cubic metres of water for individual consumers in June 2008, low-income families living in low-cost flats have not been able to benefit from the programme.
Poor families living in low-cost flats use bulk meters instead of individual ones hence they still pay more than domestic users.
While the gesture seems noble, many believe that free water should only be given to the hardcore poor.Relieving stress: Tan never fails to sweep the road every morning.
But environmentalists may argue that giving away free water is a bad idea because it encourages wastage.
Just imagine that 187 households using 20 cubic metres (equivalent to 20,000 litres) of water each can fill an Olympic-size swimming pool (25m x 50m x 3m = 3,750 m3).
Do people need that much water? 20,000 litres could also fill 13,333 mineral water bottles (1.5 litre).
Each bottle costs RM2.50. Thus the total value of 13,333 bottles will be RM2.50 X 13,333 = RM33,333.
About 20,000 litres can also fill 40,000 bottles of 0.5 litre bottles.
With each bottle worth RM1; hence the total value is 40,000 x RM1 = RM40,000.
In other words, Selangor is giving away RM40,000 worth of potential mineral water/drinking water to each household in the state. So let us just assume that there are one million households in Selangor and this amounts to filling 5,350 Olympic-size swimming pools, about 13 billion large size mineral water bottles and 40 billion small mineral water bottles every month!
This large amount of water can be used for irrigation of farm land for growing of much needed vegetables, rice and other food crops thus reducing dependency on imported food and helping Malaysia to become self sufficient in food production.
Personally, 20 million cubic metres is a lot of water to be given free and also to people who do not need this free water. Selangor already has one of the highest levels of water consumption per person in the world. This is now in excess of 300 litres per person per day.
There could be so much other uses for the water which can add a lot more value. For instance the revenue of the water could be used to invest in infrastructure for better sustainability of water supply.
Wouldn’t it be more logical to encourage people to save water by pricing it reasonably?
It was reported at the last Selangor state assembly meeting that the Selangor government is seeking RM61.6mil to continue with its free water programme.
Despite Selangor MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s noble efforts to help the poor, perhaps the funds would be better used if it was channelled to education and healthcare rather than giving away free water.
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