Wan Mat Saman Aqueduct or Terusan Wan Mat Saman is the longest aqueduct in Malaysia. The total length is 36km, connecting Sungai Kedah at Alor Star to Gurun in the south of Kedah. It was built between 1885 and 1896 at the order of Menteri Besar of Kedah at the time, Wan Mat Saman. The structure enables Kedah to boost its rice production and through it, enables Kedah to earn the nickname "Malaysia's rice bowl".
An aqueduct is a watercourse constructed to carry water from a source to a distribution point far away. In modern engineering, the term aqueduct is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose. The term aqueduct also often refers specifically to a bridge on an artificial watercourse. The word is derived from the Latin aqua ("water") and ducere. Aqueducts were used in ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, and ancient Rome. In modern times, the largest aqueducts of all have been built in the United States to supply the country's biggest cities. The simplest aqueducts are small ditches cut into the earth. Much larger channels may be used in modern aqueducts. Aqueducts sometimes run for some or all of their path through tunnels constructed underground. Modern aqueducts may also use pipelines. Historically, agricultural societies have constructed aqueducts to irrigate crops and supply large cities with drinking water.
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of 13 states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital and largest city while Putrajaya is the seat of federal government. With a population of over 30 million, Malaysia is the world's 44th most populous country. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia, Tanjung Piai, is in Malaysia. In the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries, with large numbers of endemic species.
Kedah River is a river in Kedah, Malaysia. The river passes through Alor Setar and empties into the Straits of Malacca at Kuala Kedah. Its volume is about 3695km³.
The canal was a renaissance to the agriculture of the state. It symbolised the transition from the conventional way of life to the modern system. The construction of the structure used only the simplest tools. To ensure that the canal ran straight, the initial diggings were done at nighttime, in which rows of jamung or traditional torches were lit in a straight line.
Today the canal remains part of the state's landscape, running along the Route 1 of the Federal Road, which is sandwiched by a smaller canal built later. Traditional Malay & Chinese houses, as well as new schools, shops, mosques, and cemeteries dotted the canal but the remaining part in Tandop, in the outskirts of Alor Setar have been covered by the municipal council in the road-widening project. Sometimes road users can spot traditional nets hanging from a bamboo poles (tangkui), ducks swimming around, schools of freshwater fish and even small rafts built by kids. In recent years however, the canal has fallen into disrepair & neglect. The canal is not a registered heritage site and the management of the canal is overlapped between various state & federal government agencies.
A few artifacts have been discovered along the aqueduct including keris daggers. The artifacts are now displayed in the State Museum in Alor Setar.
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