Good News ! Mengkuang dam reopen !

Yesterday Chief minister, GE Lim already announced that Mengkuang dam still open to public.

In July, local people of the Mengkuang dam area appealed with 30,000 signatures in a petition that don't want this dam to be fully close down for the dam extension. Many of them love this place for exercising in the morning and evening. Some even shoot the wedding photo for the wedding couple because the sceneric is beautiful too.

Currently, the ministry of the Energy, Green technology and Water had approved to close the dam by stage. Dam had been reopen yesterday !

The dam will be still open when the first phase of the extension work on dam. The project will be the constuction of new dam beside the present one from 1st August until Jan 31st 2014.

The second phase project of heightening the dam level will start at 1st Feb, 2014 till 31st July, 2016, this time for the safety of public, the whole area of Mengkuang dam will be close.

Really a good news to local people !

Mengkuang Dam or Empangan Mengkuang

"Empangan Mengkuang" or called as Mengkuang dam is situated at Jalan Sungai lembu, Bukit Mertajam. It is one of the largest dam in Penang state. It is also a recreational place.We can access through (BKE) butterworth-kulim expressway and exit at Penanti.

It was built in 1982 and officially opened in 14th December, 1985 by Penang former Gavernor, Yang Dipertua Negeri Pulau Pinang TYT Tun Datuk Dr Haji Awang bin Hassan.

The dam is 3.9sq km. 24.7m in hieght. The capacity of water storage is 23,639 million litres. Actually is about 10 times of water storage capacity compare to Air Itam dam. The landscape is beautiful. Around that area you can see rubber trees, pine trees, pinang trees and so many beautiful plants....very natural forest.

It open 6 am to 7.30 pm daily and no entrance fees. Besides the dam, there is a car park, all the vehicles can go in. We can do a lot of activities there such as trakking, cycling, walking, jogging, kayaking, etc.. Penang annual dragon boat festival was held at that area too. It is very convinient. Anyway fishing is not allowed but sometimes you can see some local people doing that too.

Important message : It will be close from today onwards to public (August 1st, 2011 till July 31st, 2016) 5 years ! The new project is to enlarge the dam. The water capacity will increase to 3.8 times compare with currently one. The water will start to pump in through Sungai Muda.

Anyway ! See the Mengkuang dam in another five years time ! It will have another new look.