By Shikin Louis & Christopher Lidom
KUCHING, Dec 10: Sarawak is exploring the use of hydraulic technology to redirect silt flow, enabling natural land formation as a solution to the Sarawak River’s siltation issues and reducing dependence on costly dredging operations.
Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg highlighted the need for a state-of-the-art deep seaport to handle growing export demands and accommodate larger vessels.
Current facilities, such as the Senari Port, can only cater to smaller ships due to the shallow and narrow Sarawak River estuary.
“The Sarawak River estuary is shallow and experiences significant siltation, making it unsuitable for large vessels.
“Dredging costs are exorbitant—up to RM500 million—and need to be repeated every two to three years, which is not economically viable,” he said during the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) Gala Night held at the Imperial Hotel here last night (Dec 9).
Abang Johari further revealed that studies are underway to explore alternative solutions by focusing on the Samarahan and Sadong rivers, which contribute silt that eventually deposits in the Sarawak River.
“With advanced hydraulic technology, we could potentially redirect the silt flow that allows land to form naturally.
“If successful, we will build a deep seaport further offshore, with a depth of 13 to 15 meters, enabling large vessels to dock,” he stated, citing an example in Bintulu where land has successfully formed near the Bintulu Port Authority. – DayakDaily
