KUCHING, Oct 22: The RM150 million flood mitigation project in the city is expected to begin construction in 2021, with tendering process and appointment of contractors to be finalised next month.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said the project known as “Pembangunan Lembangan Sungai Bersepadu (PLSB) Sg Sarawak” is expected to take four years to complete.
The project planning and detailed designing process including land acquisition and investigation will be carried out from December 2019 to December 2020, he added.
“The state Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) is given the authority to carry out the tendering and monitoring of the project, which is a long-term measure to address flood problem especially chronic flash flood affecting residents for many years.
“I will monitor and push for the process to be expedited, so that it will not cause too much inconvenience to the public,” he said in a statement after paying a courtesy visit to DID to follow up on the progress of the RM150 million flood mitigation project.
Dr Yii added that the project will look to resolve the long-standing issue of flash floods in some low lying areas especially around Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, Jalan Batu Lintang, Jalan Tong Weh Tah, Jalan Foochow, Jalan Laksamana, Jalan Ong Tiang Swee and many other areas.
It will cover nine locations in the city including the upgrading of drainages at SGH, the government quarters at Jalan Tun Jugah, Batu Lintang area, SK Muara Tuang, Samarahan, as well as the drainages along Jln Kuching-Samarahan Expressway, he continued.
“Besides that, there will be projects to build flood barriers along Sg Gersik, Sg Sinjan and also dredging and deepening of Sungai Tengah and Sungai Minjab,” he revealed.
Dr Yii lamented these projects may not solve all the flash flood issues in Kuching, as more needs to be done including building more flood mitigation projects along Sg Maong Kanan and Sg Maong Kiri.
“I will be debating on this matter and will push for it to be added into the upcoming 12th Malaysia Plan in 2021,” he said. — DayakDaily
