By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Nov 14: MBKS is looking to organise more townhall sessions to bring residents, consultants and relevant authorities together to discuss crucial flood mitigation projects, as part of efforts to address recurring flash floods and keep communities informed of planned drainage improvements.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the positive response to the recent townhall on the Sungai Maong Kiri project, which aims to resolve flash flooding in the 3rd Mile area, underscored the value of engaging residents directly in discussions on flood prevention measures.
Wee said the council had distributed nearly 1,000 invitations for the townhall, attracting residents who were concerned about flooding and wanted to understand the proposed improvements.
“I think we should have more of this to gather more public feedback. That is what we call community engagement. We should be open,” he said during his ShallWeeTalk live session today.
He said residents, particularly those who had experienced flooding over many years, could provide valuable insights into local drainage problems and suggest practical improvements.
“They know where it went wrong. They know which areas come under the council, and which are under DID (Department of Irrigation and Drainage),” he said.
Responding to a viewer’s suggestion that Sarawak could learn from Singapore’s sustainable stormwater management approaches, including grassed swales and bioretention systems, Wee acknowledged the importance of improving stormwater management but said geographical differences had to be considered.
He noted that Singapore was a relatively small island, making certain aspects of water management easier to coordinate compared with Sarawak’s much larger geographical area.
Nevertheless, he said Sarawak was taking steps to improve stormwater management through measures such as Sub-Storm facilities in development projects and detention ponds to temporarily retain rainwater and regulate its discharge.
“All the projects now will have to go through Sub-Storm,” he said, explaining that developers were required to incorporate appropriate stormwater management facilities into their development plans.
For larger developments, additional detention ponds could also be provided where necessary to manage runoff during heavy rainfall.
Wee added that climate change remained a challenge, as increasingly heavy rainfall could generate water volumes that drainage systems might struggle to accommodate. He cited flooding in Singapore’s Orchard Road as an example of how even places with established flood prevention measures could still experience flooding.
He stressed that a comprehensive drainage master plan was therefore essential, with improvements implemented in phases according to the requirements of different areas.
On the Sungai Maong drainage improvements, Wee clarified that the proposed works involved more than constructing a detention pond, as had been suggested during earlier discussions.
He said the project involved upgrading the wider airport drainage system, which would channel water through Timberland and Iris Garden before discharging it into Sungai Maong near Podium.
The works would utilise existing drainage infrastructure, with certain sections connected and upgraded to establish a continuous drainage network. Drainage capacity would also be expanded, while additional water retention areas would be created where necessary.
Wee said the relevant departments were working on the matter and MBKS would continue following up with DID to ensure proper planning and implementation.
He encouraged residents, particularly those living in flood-prone neighbourhoods, to attend future townhall sessions to obtain information and seek clarification directly from the relevant officers and technical experts.
“I strongly encourage residents to set aside some time to attend these sessions whenever they are organised. They will not take very long, with each session lasting no more than two hours,” he said.
Apart from infrastructure improvements, Wee stressed that public cooperation was equally important in preventing flash floods.
He said the council continued to find rubbish, including mineral water bottles, discarded in drains, which could obstruct water flow and worsen flooding during heavy rainfall.
He added that feedback gathered during community engagements would be forwarded to the relevant authorities, including suggestions to increase the frequency of drain cleaning rather than carrying it out only once or twice a year.
Wee also said he had personally visited flood-prone locations, recorded videos of affected areas and forwarded them to DID to highlight the problems and urge appropriate action.
He said MBKS would continue assisting within its capacity, but emphasised that resolving flooding required cooperation among the council, DID, developers, consultants and the community. — DayakDaily
