By Amanda L
KUCHING, Sept 8: Batu Kawa’s flood mitigation works comprise several interconnected phases, including retention ponds and water-pumping systems, which Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian plans to explain in greater detail during a site visit once the haze improves.
“There are a few very important projects in Batu Kawa because, conceptually, they are part of the future flood prevention strategy.
“Once you understand Batu Kawa, then you will understand the role of retention ponds, water-pumping systems and other flood mitigation measures,” he told reporters after officiating the Asia Medical Library Seminar 2026 (AMLiS 2026) here today.
Dr Sim, who is also Batu Kawa assemblyman, said the programme involved key components including retention ponds and water-pumping systems, with a site visit to be arranged after the haze situation improves to provide a clearer understanding of the various phases and components of the flood mitigation works.
Previous reports have put the value of major works under the wider Batu Kawa flood mitigation programme at more than RM200 million.
Among them is a three-kilometre embankment intended to protect low-lying areas and villages near the river, alongside four dry retention ponds covering about 16 acres.
In Desa Wira, the RM14.5 million Phase 1 detention pond was completed in July. The 1.4-hectare facility can temporarily store about 40,000 cubic metres of stormwater before it is gradually released into the subsequent flood mitigation system.
Meanwhile, the RM36.6 million Phase 2 flood mitigation project at Taman Desa Wira was reported in August to be 11 per cent ahead of schedule and is targeted for completion in July 2027.
The project includes an 11,300-square-metre detention pond with a capacity of 30,000 cubic metres, a high-capacity pump house, drainage upgrades and a one-kilometre flood protection wall.
Dr Sim said the various projects form part of a broader flood-prevention system, which would be explained in greater detail during the site visit. — DayakDaily
