Kedah's Pedu Lake Has Dried Up So Much A 100-Year-Old Underwater Cemetery Is Now Visible
The authorities did not relocate the cemetery during the Pedu Dam project in the 1960s.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 19 Aug 2024, 06:17 PM
The water level at Pedu Lake in Padang Terap, Kedah has receded so significantly that a cemetery, believed to be 100 years old, has emerged from submersion
According to the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, the water level at Pedu Dam was at 34.56% as of 16 August.
While the state is not facing an immediate water crisis, the receding water level at the lake has allowed some 300 next-of-kins to visit the reemerged cemetery in Kampung Mong Gajah, reported Bernama.
These families have been holding tahlil and prayers for those interred there since the cemetery was exposed in early August.
Local imam Mohamad Khori Idris, 58, said residents from Kampung Mong Gajah, Batu Kurau, and other surrounding villages have gathered to pay their respects to their ancestors in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Ismail Md Daud, 62, told Bernama that his late grandfather was among those buried in the cemetery.
This is not the first time that the drying Pedu Lake has revealed the cemetery
Mohamad Khor said that the cemetery also reemerged in 2020, providing families an opportunity to visit their ancestors and for residents to engage in recreational activities such as camping.
Padang Terap member of parliament (MP) Nurul Amin Hamid, who visited the area during an event recently, stated that around 15 villages were submerged for the Pedu Dam project in the 1960s.
He explained that the old cemetery was not relocated because both the Kedah Islamic Affairs Department and the Kedah Mufti's Department deemed it unnecessary due to the cemetery's significant age.
"We pray for those interred here to be placed among the righteous and we also pray that the lake area is replenished with water to be used for domestic and agricultural purposes in Kedah, Perlis, and Penang," said the MP.
Kedah has a total of five dams.
According to the latest water level data, Beris Dam is completely depleted, Muda Dam is at 8%, Padang Saga Dam is at 54%, and Ahning Dam is at 79%.
On 5 August, Muda Agricultural Development Agency (MADA) chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh said the state will only face a water crisis if Pedu Dam's water level drops below 15%.
He acknowledged the concern among some locals but assured them that the recent cloud seeding operations were not indicative of a water supply shortage, reported Bernama.
"Actually, the situation is normal and has happened before. Those who wish to know whether the water situation in Kedah is critical or not can take a look at the capacity of Pedu Dam as it gathers water from Muda Dam and Ahning Dam before channelling it to consumers," said Ismail.
He added that the current total capacity remains high compared to the lowest levels recorded between 1974 and 2023. For instance, Pedu Dam had a water level of 11% in April 1982, Muda Dam was at 2.7% in March 1978, and Ahning Dam was at 27% in March 2005.
