Sugud flood mitigation project to start this year

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Jeffrey (middle) holding the map that describes the third phase of flood mitigation project involving Sugud, Penampang.

PENAMPANG (Sept 19): The third phase of flood mitigation project involving 1,136 meters in Sugud near here will start this year.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said that the project was supposed to start next year but due to the extraordinary flood situation here recently, a decision was made to begin this year.

“The project is worth RM9 million, and the contractor has already been appointed,” said Dr Jeffrey who is also the Agriculture and Fisheries Minister. The works involve increasing the capacity of the river to accommodate water.

However, he reminded that the project, which is targeted to be completed in three years, will not resolve the flood problems permanently in Sugud.

“It will be temporary.

“There cannot be a 100 percent solution as this is to do with nature … it has to do with the big picture of climate change. The extraordinary rain is proof that climate change is real.

“Snow in the North Pole is melting and increasing the level of water … the water from the sea is flowing into the river because the (sea) level has increased.”

Dr Jeffrey also said that there is a need to have the ‘enabling solution’.

“We need to have the budget to solve this. When we get it, we get cracking, but whatever we have now, we will work on the river,” he said.

The project shall also include land acquisition and moving the villagers living by the river.

“These are the constraints,” he said, adding that it will require funding.

As for the recent flooding, Dr Jeffrey described it as bad and the extraordinary rainfall had caused extraordinary damages.

About 3,000 adults live in Sugud presently. Among the more severely affected villages in Sugud are Kg Kodou, Kg Tampasak and Kg Koidupan.

Meanwhile, UPKO Division chief Datuk Donald Mojuntin said that the recent flooding wasn’t the first to occur in the district.

He said that the solution required strategic planning and stressed that the drainage system at all places must be in tip-top condition.

“The relevant authority must also plan a better framework for flood barriers based on the occurrences that are beyond expectations now,” said Donald.

“We find that during each rainy season, the river water will overflow and enter several villages including Donggongon,” he said when visiting the flooded areas near here.

Donald proposed that among the early actions to be taken are the continuance of the Penampang Flood Mitigation Project which was approved since 2011.

He said that during that time, UPKO’s Honorary President, Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok served as a Federal government cabinet member and had endeavored to get the approval from the then Natural Resource and Environment Minister, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.

“The project involved expansion and deepening of the river along Penampang and Putatan.

“Works on the project has begun in Putatan and in Kibabaig. However, after 2013, after the opposition took over as Penampang parliament member, the project was stopped until now,” he said.

Donald said that the project should be continued as it involved the welfare and safety of the people despite the political dynamics.

He reminded that the flood is bound to happen again and it is sad to see the Penampang people suffer each time it happens.

“Is the present government taking the necessary action? This is the question among the people of Penampang now,” said Donald who was accompanied by Dompok during the visit.