KUCHING, Feb 9: The Sarawak government and developers are urged to consider the potential impact of development on drainage systems before proceeding with construction.
Michael Kong, a special assistant to Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen, said he wrote a letter to Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Sarawak to inform them of the plight of some housing estates within Kuching, namely Borneo Garden, Iris Garden as well as Jalan Burung Lilin.
According to Kong, these housing areas have been long in existence and their drainage systems were designed and built to cater for the original population density.
He pointed out that in recent years, rapid development in the surrounding areas have put a strain on the existing drainage infrastructure which was not designed to handle the increased volume of water.
“As a result, we have seen more and more cases of flooding in these affected areas.
“As such, it is obvious that the increase in the burden on existing drainage systems due to rapid development can have significant impact on the environment and the people who live in the surrounding area,” he said in a statement today.
Kong emphasised it is high time that the authorities look into the existing drainage systems and invest in a more robust drainage infrastructure, as well as promote sustainable development practices that minimise runoff and pollution.
He said that he has also written and delivered another letter to DID Sarawak to highlight the issues faced by these affected neighbourhoods as well as others such as those of Jalan Luis, Jalan Durian Burung, and Stampin Resettlement Scheme.
“At the same time, I have sought their cooperation to open a channel of dialogue for parties to engage in constructive discussion on how to resolve the issue,” he added. — DayakDaily
