The Selangor Water Management Authority has engaged the use of drones to control 20 reservoirs and seven dams throughout the state from being encroached on by irresponsible parties.
While drone tech is being widely adopted in Malaysia from agriculture to flood assistance, the agency is now deploying aerial unmanned devices in areas gazetted as protection zones to identify laluan tikus or rat routes. Selangor has problem with river pollution and water source sabotage in the past.
“Luas conducts monitoring using drones a minimum of 28 times a year with four (operations) in each pond or dam. However, additional monitoring is done based on needs or if there are complaints and issues,” a spokesperson from the agency said.
The agency has a strong mandate to ensure there is no illegal trespassing in the area and said it will not compromise on any individual who is detected to be trespassing in the protected zone area. “If trespassers are detected, we will confiscate items such as boats, engines and tents in addition to closing the routes by putting up prohibition signs.
“If there is an illegal structure built, Luas will demolish it before issuing a notice, compound and even bringing it to prosecution,” it said.
Luas gazetted 20 ponds covering lakes and twelve mines and seven dams in the state as protected zones according to Section 48, Luas Enactment 1999.
Gazetted ponds and damsmust preserved and protected from any form of disturbance in order to guarantee quality and quantity as an additional source of water in Selangor.
