KUCHING, Aug 10: The Sarawak government has agreed to fund and run Phase Four of the Sibu flood mitigation project with an estimated cost of RM120 million under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
In a statement, Senator Robert Lau revealed the last phase of the project involves the building of a pump station next to Paramount Hotel and the raising of road level along the remaining stretch of Jalan Lanang to act as a bund, linking the previous phases together which were funded by the federal government.
“The flood mitigation project for Sibu started in 2008 and involved the building of bunds by raising the road level along the rivers and building pumping stations and retention ponds.
“Phase One and Two have been completed with the road level from Upper Lanang to junction of Jalan Lanang, Jalan Ek Dee and three pumping stations built.
“Two more pumping stations were built under the federal stimulus package a few years ago,” Lau disclosed.
He added that Phase Three of the project is ongoing and is expected to be completed in 2022. It involves the building of two pump stations and the raising of road level along the village beside Igan River.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Department of Irrigation and Drainage director Datuk Chok Mok Soon asserted that the building of bunds is a tried and tested method in effectively preventing river water from overflowing into low-lying areas.
“Low-lying areas of Sibu land level is 2.5 metres while the water level of Rajang River during high tide range from 2.2 to 2.8 metres.
“When there is heavy rainfall during high tide, the low-lying areas will be flooded. The bund will act as a barrier to the high tide water from flowing into the low-lying areas and at the same time, the pumps will pump out the rain water.
“There will be retention ponds behind the pumping stations to store excess rain water before the pumps can clear them,” Chok added. — DayakDaily
