KUCHING, Oct 28: The long awaited projects aimed at resolving flash flood issues in the Batu Lintang and Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) area are now set for implementation, with two detention ponds scheduled to be built.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Women chief Kho Teck Wan revealed that these proposed projects will involve the development of a 1.5-acre wide detention pond at Jalan Batu Lintang and a 1.9-acre detention pond near SGH which will double as a public walking park when completed in two years time.
“The project at Jalan Batu Lintang is expected to resolve flash flood issues near the southeastern area including Lintang Park, Taman Kelly, Taman Wingli and Lorong Batu Lintang 8.
“However, DID (Department of Irrigation and Drainage) stressed that although the proposed flood mitigation projects will resolve the flash flood issues at Jalan Batu Lintang and SGH, they are not designed to prevent flooding due to high tide phenomena or drainage blockages,” she clarified in a statement today.
During a visit to the project sites by Kho, together with several officials including Kuching City South Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) engineer Zaidi Pathi representing Mayor Hilmy Othman, were briefed by DID Sarawak deputy director Law Lee and the team of engineers on the flood mitigation designs.
DID Sarawak is gearing up to initiate the tendering process for the projects in early November this year.
Kho emphasised that it was Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian and his team who helped fast track the implementation of the two projects after their working visit to Federal Minister of Natural Resource, Environment and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad who had pledged to follow up with the Ministry of Finance to expedite all necessary processes including financial and administrative documentations.
“Contrary to claims made by the DAP (Democratic Action Party), the approved fund was held by DID Malaysia at the federal side, As of May this year, DID Sarawak only received RM6.9 million for the payment of land acquisition at Batu lintang area out of the RM150 million allocated to the flood mitigation project for Bandar Kuching,” she clarified.
“This much-needed Kuching flood mitigation plan was put under review by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government after the 14th General Election in 2018. After much delay, the projects were finally given the green light to resume in 2020,” she added. — DayakDaily
