Going by the chief minister's call yesterday to the state water department and district offices to ration water in acutely-hit areas, Sabah is heading for a water crisis.

The water situation is not expected to improve soon as Sabah Meteorological Department director Abdul Malik Tusin was reported saying that the unusually hot weather attributed to the El Nino phenomenon -- which also triggered numerous bush and forest fires -- was expected to last until April.

With unpredictable weather of late, the call for water rationing is believed to be the most appropriate strategy and approach to pursue to face any eventuality.

However, water department director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib provided some assurance today that the water situation here was still manageable and they could support the supply until April or May.

Speaking to Bernama here, he said the current situation was not as bad as the drought in 1997, but the hot weather was quite abnormal.

He said, so far there was no water rationing due to the drought except for ongoing rationing in those areas where water shortage normally occurred.

"So far in general, we are still in good shape although isolated areas are facing problems. We do not have the full report (on all areas) and are now compiling."

He said Pulau Banggi residents currently relied on water from wells and if the situation worsened, clean water would be supplied to the island.

On reports published in local dailies today on the plight of about 500 villagers in Nabawan district who faced water shortage due to Sungai Penawan -- their main source of water -- drying up, Ag Mohd Tahir said the district had been facing such problems due to 'supply and demand' issues there.

According to the news reports, villagers said they were turning to nearby rivers for bathing and cooking while also receiving clean water supply from the water department via the Nabawan district office, using lorries.

Ag Mohd Tahir said contingency measures had also been deployed by the department, in the event the drought season persisted.

When contacted, Federation of Sabah Manufacturers (FSM) president Datuk Wong Khen Thau said, if the drought continued and water was rationed, it would affect water-related industries, such as food and beverage.

"Of course, at this moment it has not reached critical stage. But we are taking preventive measures. Most businesses are taking other alternatives, and those in related industries, mostly have their own internal storage of water," he added.

Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin said at the moment, his ministry had not received any report or complaint from the ground due to the drought.

However, he said, padi planters were likely to be affected due to rivers drying up.

On Monday, Yahya, who is also deputy chief minister, was reported saying that Sabah�s water shortage had not reached a critical stage to initiate cloud-seeding operations to induce rain.