KARAK: Construction of the RM9bil Pahang-Selangor raw water transfer project officially took off Tuesday after a ground-breaking ceremony graced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
Once completed in 2014, the project will pump 1,890 million litres of raw water daily from Sungai Semantan in Pahang to the Hulu Langat water treatment facility in Selangor.
Raw water will be transferred through a 44.6km long by 5.2m diameter tunnel, with gravity flow to the the water treatment plant.
The tunnel, to be bored through the Titiwangsa Main Range, will also be the longest and biggest in Southeast Asia and the sixth biggest in the world.
The raw water supply to Selangor is expected to generate an income of RM70mil annually for the Pahang government, at a price of 10 sen per cubic metre.
The rate will be reviewed once every five years by both the states.
Present at the ceremony were Tengku Mahkota Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.
In his speech, Chin said the project was essential in order to cope with the increase of future water demands in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
"The demand for treated water supply is expected to increase 4.3% yearly and will reach a higher rate in 2015.
"In view of the situation, the federal government gave its approval for the interstate water project to be built under the 9th Malaysian Plan," he said before the event, held at Jalan Manchis here.
Chin said the project was awarded to a joint venture company of Japan's Shimizu Corporation and Nishimatsu Construction, and local companies IJM Corp and UEM Builders Bhd. -thestar
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