By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Jan 5: Dredging the riverbeds of Batang Rajang and Batang Igan, apart from upgrading small drains to wider reinforced concrete drains, must be done to rid the entire Sibu, especially Dudong area, of flash floods in the longterm.
Dudong assemblyman Dato Sri Tiong King Sing emphasised that the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Sarawak must utilise the RM6 million grant allocated to optimise riverbed survey work that is crucial for flood mitigation.
“I must stress that merely improving drains will only solve part of the flood problem.
“DID and the Land and Survey Department (LSD) should prioritise this river survey work to check the entire stretch that runs from Kapit to Tanjung Manis which is about 345 miles while Igan to port is about 90 miles,” he said.
He highlighted this in a statement posted on his social media today following a meeting with Sibu DID and Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) in light of the rising water levels in Dudong area, including Stabau, Sentosa and Jalan Salim.
The Bintulu MP added that the small tonnage heavy machinery currently used for drainage and ditch digging were not big enough to perform any meaningful work to widen and deepen the rivers but only to clear clogged garbage which had caused siltation and prevented smooth river flow.
“We also cannot simply widen the river width without lowering the depth. It is crucial to dig deeper and reinforce mud ditches with concrete.
“DID and LSD teams only need the survey machines, software, generators and a ship to carry out the works. They are already competent in this area without the need to resort to outsourcing which could save funds for other important areas of improvement,” he said.
Tiong, who is also Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to China, also pointed out the need for masterplan to effectively address the needs 15 to 20 years into the future as Dudong will see rapid development and population growth.
“There is an urgent need to help residents of Sentosa, Salim, Durin and other areas with mostly lower-income households.
“Focus should be given to upgrading small drains into wider reinforced concrete drains as well as storm drains to cope with sudden and rapid increase in water volume in order to prevent flash floods,” he raised.
Beside these, Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) has been urged to come out with a detailed report on improving roads and drainages in housing areas.
“With the report, we can then proceed to conduct necessary studies and apply for funding to proceed with necessary works,” he said.— DayakDaily
