Kaiduan dam gets go-ahead from Sabah [online]

By Olivia Miwil
olivia@nst.com.my

Nov 23, 2015
Pictures by Malai Rosmah Tuah.

KOTA KINABALU: The proposed Kaiduan dam at Ulu Papar near here is still the best alternative to cater increasing need of water supply for the people, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Pairin Kitingan.

Pairin, who is also Infrastructure Development minister, said the cabinet had decided to continue the project.

The exisiting Babagon dam barely has enough water to meet the present demands and by 2030, the state will be facing critical water shortage in the region.

The possible Kaiduan dam project will be able to supply water to people in the west coast from here, Papar to Kinarut, and Tuaran.

"We will ensure the Special Environment Impact Assessment to be conducted in line to Feasibility Study. Both studies to be presented to the cabinet.

"The steering committee of Kota Kinabalu Water Supply project phase 3 for the dam has also decided to conduct Social Impact Assessment in May 2015," he said during the 14th state assembly sitting here.

However, the Social Impact assessment is put on hold as there were objections from local communities and non-governmental organisations.

He was responding to questions by Moyog assemblyman Terrence Siambun on the status of proposed Kaiduan dam and whether other possible alternatives had been considered to face water shortages in future 

Pairin added other alternatives such as tapping water from rivers and underground were not reliable as the supply would not be consistent.

Desalination plant, Inter-basin transfer or re-prosses sewerage water will involve higher operations cost.

Another proposed Mandalipau dam , located in Crocker range, would only have 40 per cent capacity as compared to Kaiduan dam.