THE RM20 million project to build and upgrade the drainage system and flood mitigation in the Jalan Batu Lintang-Jalan Rock area and the vicinity may start as early as 2014.
The Drainage and Irrigation Department which proposed the budget, however, has to re-submit the application under the third Rolling Plan of the 10th MP to the federal government. The department previously submitted their application to both the state and federal governments during the 10th MP submission but it was not approved.
“We are waiting the outcome of our application” said Assistant Minister of Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh when replying to a question posed by See Chee How (PKR-Batu Lintang) yesterday.
Len Talif was representing Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud who is also Minister of Resource Planning and Environment.
When responding to additional question posed by See who said that a vocational school, teachers’ training college, SMK Batu Lintang and SK Batu Lintang in the Batu Lintang area were often subjected to flash flood each time it rained heavily, he said that drain clearing works in the area was on-going to ensure smoother water flow.
See, who is also PKR vice-chairman, said he raised the question to avoid the recurrence of the Jan 5 tragedy which took the life of 19-year-old Kho Ying Qi, who fell into the monsoon drain while walking along the submerged road following flash floods which hit the city early that morning.
Kho, an Upper 6 student at SMK Batu Lintang was leaving her school after classes were cancelled due to the flash flood when she slipped and fell into the monsoon drain near a petrol station.
Meanwhile, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Dato Sri Michael Manyin said the upgrading of Jalan Simen Raya and a new parallel three-lane, 150-metre Sg Tabuan Bridge and the upgrading of the existing bridge to three lanes was now 74.7 per cent completed.
Manyin was responding to a question posed by Violet Yong (DAP-Pending) in respect to the upgrading of bridge and work projects at Jalan Simen Raya.
“There is a slight delay of 5.7 per cent due to initial relocation of utility services, land issues and inclement weather. The project is expected to be fully completed in November,” he said.