Pairin (third from left) and Luvita (fifth from left) listening to the explanation given by the engineer present on the flood issue at Kampung Nambazan.
PENAMPANG: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said a pump and a floodgate would be installed near the Moyog River in the near future.
It is hoped that the installation of the system will help stop or at least reduce the incidence of flooding at flood-prone areas in Penampang such as Kampung Nambazan and Kampung Kibabaig.
The proposal was revealed by Pairin, who is also Infrastructure Development Minister, who visited the flood-affected sites in Kampung Nambazan and Kampung Kibabaig yesterday.
He added that a similar solution was installed in Likas and it had resolved/minimized the incidence of flooding in the district.
The pump in Penampang, he said, would speed up the discharge of excess water from the drainage system into the Moyog River and into the sea, particularly during the rainy seasons.
He also said that the pump must be large enough to cater for the purpose.
Meanwhile, the floodgate would be used to stop the inflow of water from the river into the drainage system during high tides, he said.
He hoped that the adoption of the new system in Penampang would address the flood problem affecting the district just as it did in Likas.
Pairin then instructed the engineers from the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) who were also present during the site visit to carry out their study on the matter as soon as possible so that it could be implemented.
During the visit, Pairin also noted the higher elevation of the Pan Borneo road that was constructed as compared to the surrounding areas.
He also noted that the rainwater was not flowing into the drains constructed, as anticipated.
“The engineers had to break parts of the drain to allow rainwater to go into it,” he said.
He added that some changes would have to be made on the Pan Borneo development plan to ensure this issue was addressed.
One of the affected residents at Kampung Nambazan, Michael Siew said that he had experienced several floods at the area where he was residing.
He said that there were no outlets for the water to go out and the surrounding community had already spent RM1,900 to pay for an excavator to dig a drain.
Another resident, Jenny Kung, said that they had experienced three floods in a week and lamented that everything happened so fast.
She added that the flood had begun occurring since 2014 and it damaged her brother’s house furnishing.
“The children are also affected. My daughter is already experiencing skin rashes,” she said.
Meanwhile, rampant hill-cutting activities by irresponsible individuals were blamed for the floodings in Penampang.
Pairin admonished those involved in the irresponsible behaviour and said that what they were doing had adverse impact on the environment.
Earlier, Penampang district officer Luvita Koisun said that hill-cutting activities were still going on, most of which were done discreetly and illegally.