Henry (right) looks at the drain connecting to the culvert which will be expanded as part of the ongoing drainage project in Taman Mawar. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
BAU (Jan 4): Sarawak Transport Deputy Minister Dato Henry Harry Jinep is appealing to the Public Works Department (JKR) to expedite the expansion project of the culvert at Taman Mawar in Bau.
He said this action is crucial to mitigate the threat of flash floods in the vicinity, where over a hundred residences are situated.
“Currently, the existing culvert is small and insufficient to handle the large volume of water due to the growing number of development projects in the area,” said Henry, who is Tasik Biru assemblyman.
He emphasised the significance of expanding the culvert within the broader project, noting that it is essential to prevent bottlenecks in the flow of water along the earth drain.
He said the expansion would also ensure a seamless connection to the drainage system in the surrounding area.
Funded by the Sarawak government at a cost of about RM900,000, the construction of the drainage project started in October last year and is scheduled to be completed within five months.
“There are still a couple of months to go but we hope that the project can be expedited as this area is prone to flash floods. The worst took place in 2021 where seven houses were badly affected,” he said.
Henry also highlighted that in 2021, floodwaters had submerged homes, reaching depths ranging from six to nine feet during the Northeast Monsoon period.
“We do not want this to happen again. So do the residents here, that is why they are excited for the completion of the project and when the project seems to be falling behind, they are getting anxious,” he added.
Also present during the visit to the site were representatives from JKR, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Natural Resources and Environment Board, Royal Malaysia Police and various community leaders.
Each department was also told to monitor any land clearing or development projects in the area to ensure that they comply with the required procedures such as preparing a proper environmental impact assessment.
“This assessment needs to be studied carefully as projects are getting nearer to residential areas and there is bound to be more surface water coming into housing areas due to the absence of trees to stop or slow the flow of rainwater,” Henry added.