Ponds at Taiping Lake Gardens experience 70 pc drop in water levels, says local council

IPOH: The lake and ponds at Taiping Lake Gardens are experiencing a nearly 70 per cent reduction in water levels, said Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) president Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir.

He said that the drop in the water level of the river, which serves as a water source for the ponds, is contributing to the reduction in water levels in the lake and ponds within the gardens.

“The current drop in water levels, to the point where the lake or pond bed is becoming visible, is due to prolonged hot weather and low rainfall.

“The lake and ponds rely on frequent rainfall as their main water source, and I hope the current hot spell does not last much longer,” he said in a statement on Friday (July 26).

Visuals of several parts of the 133-year-old Lake Gardens drying up due to a lack of rainfall over the past two weeks have gone viral on social media.

Meanwhile, Khairul Amir said Taiping Lake, which was once a tin mining site, has several water bodies within it, including the Allamanda Pond and Seven Sisters Pond.

“All of these ponds also function as detention ponds, temporarily holding water to allow drainage and rivers time to channel surface water runoff to the sea, thus helping to prevent flash floods in Taiping town.

“About 15 per cent of the water flowing into the lake or ponds comes from Sungai Buloh, with the remaining 85 per cent coming from rainwater,” he said.

According to Khairul Amir, Taiping Lake Gardens is a recreational park, where the water there is not used for domestic or agricultural purposes.

“Therefore, we will let it recover naturally according to the weather conditions, and it is hoped that this dry season will not persist,” he said.- Bernama