ISSUE - 4 constructed from the foothill of Gunong Jerai in Gurun to Alor Star in 1885 by the famous Menteri Besar, Wan Muhammad Saman. The building of this 42 km long canal was an engineering feat and the canal played an important role in the rice trade and for irrigation. In modern times, the Muda Agricultural Development scheme was established in the 70’s to harness the waters of Muda and Pedu rivers and enable double cropping. The MADA area now produces about 40% of the rice grown in the country. Rice cultivation has had a profound influence on the language, culture, customs Masjid Zahir stands majestically along Sungai Anak Bukit, Alor Setar and way of life of the Kedah people and it continues to play an important economic KEDAH LAUNCHES A role in the state. New Model for IRBM edah is the “rice the Sungai Kedah and Kbowl of Malaysia” Sungai Anak Bukit as Inside and water has always a port for the rice been essential to the trade. The customs River Tourism for Sungai Kedah? 3 state. The rivers have office at Tanjung Chali been used for collected taxes for the Monitoring for IRBM 5 irrigation, government and “Water Seeding” - An Innovative 7 communication Indian moneylenders Technique for Rice linkages between provided the finance Wastewater from Markets, Restaurants 9 villages and to via the Chettiar houses and Food Stalls transport rice grown along the Pekan Cina. Oil and grease 10 in the vast area of YB Dato’ Syed Unan Mashri bin Sand Mining in Kedah 11 paddy fields. The Syed Abdullah - Kedah State To facilitate the relatively gentle flow Secretary transport of padi from Environmental Assessment of 12 from Kuala Kedah the Southern Animal Husbandry made navigation easy and Alor Star hinterland to Sungai Kedah by Freshwater Aquaculture 13 was established at the confluence of sampans, the first canal was in the Sg. Selangor Basin Bio-Indicator Courses 15 IRBM • 1 IRBM Training 16 and this is especially a problem in existing agencies, who will maintain INCREASING DEMAND urban areas. As a result, most storm their current roles, for instance in water drains are very polluted and permitting and enforcement. The Paddy uses a lot of water, and in spite smelly, especially in the dry season Board will have a coordinating role of the reservoirs of Muda, Pedu and and it will formulate action plans. It Ahning, water remains a scarce A NEW APPROACH will also draft guidelines and resource. MADA has therefore regulations to fill identified gaps. It will introduced water saving methods, Kedah realises that to deal with these be chaired by the State Secretary. The including recycling of drainage water. problems, and with other issues such Board will appoint a Water Resources Irrigation is still by far the largest Director and the UPEN Director will consumer of water, but industrial as sand mining and flood mitigation, demand is growing and the rising the traditional sector-based approach assume the role as Coordinating standard of living also means is inadequate. While each agency Director. Implementation will mostly increasing domestic demand. Tourism has it own mandate, priorities and be delegated to relevant authorities also consumes a lot of water. Finally, expertise and need to play their roles such as MADA, DID or the local Kedah supplies water to Perlis and in addressing the problems, it is authorities. shares Sungai Muda with Penang. necessary to use a holistic approach The economic development thus and bring all the stakeholders This model draws on the experiences increases the demand for a limited together. from elsewhere. We find that it is resource. suited for the situation in Kedah and After a review of experiences from hope it will be proved to be not only WATER QUALITY other countries and from other efficient, but also effective in Malaysian states, the Kedah State addressing the issues. We look Water quality is also a concern. Government is studying the forward to the process of drafting the While the rivers are pristine in the possibilities to establish a Water enactment. upstream areas, they become Resources Board and has asked the increasing polluted downstream due IRBM project to assist in preparing a By to discharge of urban wastewater and new water resources enactment. The YB Dato’ Syed Unan Mashri bin agricultural run-off. All too often solid Water Resources Board will be a Syed Abdullah waste often also ends up in the river small organisation drawing on the Kedah State Secretary Paddy fields in Kedah 2 • IRBM River Tourism for Sungai Kedah? RICH HISTORY The view from the top of the newly constructed Tower at Tanjong Chali at the confluence between Sungai Kedah and Sungai Anak Bukit in Alor Star is magnificent: to the west Sungai Kedah flows towards the coastal town of Kuala Kedah, to the north the Sungai Anak Bukit bring out a grand view of the Zahir Mosque, and to the East the twin bridges are straddling across Sungai Kedah. One can easily imagine the glorious by-gone days of Alor Star The annual boat race is a popular event at Ampang Jajar, Sungai Kedah. some two hundreds ago at the exactly the same spot: sailing junks Some years ago, there was talk of shop houses, the immense green and trading ships from India, Middle turning Alor Star into the “Venice of carpet of paddy fields, an intriguing East, China and far off places the East” and this idea has always and interesting story of a kingdom moored along the banks to take our been at the back of the minds of and a city build on the trade of the rice, spices and other produce, planners and some entrepreneurs in humble rice grain could certainly be sampans criss-crossing the rivers, the tourism industry. Located in the woven into an interesting story, not workers loading and unloading largest rice bowl of Malaysia, Alor just for locals but also foreign goods from the ships, and the Star has a rich history and is the tourists! buzzing activities along Pekan original founding spot of the oldest Melayu and Pekan Cina. Could this Malay sultanate. Together with the INTERESTING FLORA AND history be made into one of the main beautiful Zahir Mosque and the old FAUNA attractions for tourists and visitors to palace complex right in the city Alor Star? square, the many old world quaint In addition, there are interesting natural riparian flora and fauna along Sungai Kedah and Sungai Anak Bukit that are unique to the tropics. Take for example the nipah palms that are still found on some stretches. A nice cool drink called nira nipah can be extracted from the cut inflorescence, and a natural sweetener called “gula melaka” can also be made from the same exudates. Some berembang trees where fireflies congregate are still growing in some part of the riverbanks. The mangroves and natural vegetation along the banks from the tidal barrage to Kuala Kedah have rich bird life where some 50 species of birds and hundreds of migratory egrets roost in the trees. Could these be developed to form a river cruise package for nature lovers Sungai Pedu is a beautiful clean tributary to Sungai Kedah and eco-tourists? IRBM • 3 BAMBOO RAFTING Upstream, nearer to the source of Sungai Pedu, the twin water spouts at the base of the Pedu Dam spew out a large volume of clear water for about one third of the year to irrigate the paddy fields in the Muda Scheme. The Sungai Pedu is scenic and ideal for bamboo rafting and in the past many bamboo rafting races from here down to the coast have been organised. This could easily be revived as an annual sporting event. Chinese temple near Pekan Cina POLLUTION PROBLEM the rivers too. The construction of the URBAN PARKS AND tidal barrage on Sungai Kedah near RECREATION Like in so many parts of the world, MADA head office, built to prevent rivers have been used as a the intrusion of sea water into the rice Another approach is to create more conveyance route in the past. But fields, has aggravated the pollution linear parks along the riverbanks of with the advent of motor vehicles and problem because the daily flushing the rivers in Alor Star and link up with the modern road systems, rivers are and cleaning of the river by the tidal the existing parks and paths along no longer used in this way and sadly cycles is now prevented. The end both Sungai Kedah and Sungai Anak land reserves on riverbanks are often result is that Sungai Kedah and Bukit to add on and enlarge the Sungai Anak Bukit are now not occupied with unsightly squatter recreational and green lung areas for houses. People dump rubbish and all appealing to the eyes and also not the city. Foot path and bicycle path sorts of things into the rivers. attractive for water sports and other could be added to link the linear Wastewater from the shops and recreational activities. parks and encourage local residents houses in the city find their way into The pre-requisite for river tourism is to use and enjoy the scenery along the therefore improving the water quality rivers. The penny boat ferry service by reducing and eradicating river can also be revived and be given a pollution through several means: new lease of life for residents to use to Control the flows of wastes and cross the rivers for leisure or for work. grease into the rivers, relocating the This would improve the quality of life squatters along the river reserves, of the residents of Alor Star and also educating the public to love the enhance the city’s image.