RM100m approved for 114 flood-mitigation projects in Sarawak

KUCHING: The state government has approved RM100 million for the implementation of 114 flood-mitigation projects across the state, said Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said RM45.78 million had been allocated this year to implement 97 projects, out of which 63 should be completed by the end of this year or early next year.
"The remaining 51 projects will commence early next year," he told a press conference after attending a briefing on the flood situation in Sarawak by Assistant State Secretary Datuk Jaul Sameon at the State Disaster Operations Room, Wisma Bapa Malaysia, here, today.
Abang Johari said the implementing agencies were the local councils, Department of Irrigation and Drainage DID) and Public Works Department (PWD), adding that he had been briefed on the implementation by these agencies.
"As of Dec 20, out of 97 projects, 13 have been complemented, 71 under various stages of implementation, eight under tender evaluation and five are at the pre-implementation stage," he said.
The chief minister said the short-term measures (to prevent flooding) were to get the relevant local authorities and DID and PWD to carry our regular maintenance of the inlet sumps, clearance of scupper drains, roadside and main drains, and periodic desilting of the affected rivers.
"The medium-term measures are upgrading works to major drainage outlets at the Sarawak General Hospital area, Jalan Batu Lintang, Padang Merdeka, Taman Malihah, Federal Quarters, SK Muara Tuang, Sg. Sinjan, Sg. Gersik, and Sg. Tabuan dredging works with a total approved cost of RM150 million.
"Currently, these projects are under the tender evaluation stage," he said.
As for long-term measures, the chief minister said the state government had approved the implementation of the Sarawak Urban Storm Water Management Manual (SUStoM) for new development areas as the rapid disposal approach was no longer effective and efficient to cope with the current development.
"This approach utilises detention/retention, filtration and purification processes. The quantity and quality of stormwater (water that originates from rainfall) from the development areas can be maintained to be less or equal to the pre-development condition," he explained.
Under SUStoM, he said, stormwater management would have multiple green and hazard-free objectives within and downstream of the development areas, including to control nuisance flash flooding and provide for the safe passage of less frequent or larger flood events, to minimise the environmental impact of runoff on water quality, to enhance the urban landscape and ecology, to stabilise the landform, and to control erosion and ensure public safety.
On the recent floods in the state, the chief minister said. among others, these were due to the high volume of rainfall, inability of the existing drainage system to contain the extremely high volume of rain water runoff and loss of flood storage as a result of development extending into and taking over flood plains and drainage corridors.
"In Kuching, for example, a total of 171mm of rainfall was recorded on Dec 18, 2017 alone. High rainfall was also recorded in the Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Miri, Bintulu, Sibu, Limbang and Mukah Divisions," he said.
The chief minister said the northern part of Sarawak was expected to experience heavy rainfall but not the western part.
"However, we want the public to always be alert and cautious in order to avoid any untoward incident," he said and advised the people to always check with the Meteorological Department on the weather situation through the MyCuaca.Com application.
"The State Disaster Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah is in full gear to face the floods, with evacuation centres already in place and food supply ready to be sent out to flood victims," he added. — Bernama