COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO TACKLE FLOODS: Wong explains to the media the three projects to help solve flooding woes in the west bank.
SIBU: A comprehensive flood mitigation scheme costing millions of ringgit is expected to kick-start at the west bank here in June to help residents and farmers solve their pressing flood woes.
This was disclosed by Minister of Environment and Public Health Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday, saying that the three projects were Sungai Bidut flood mitigation project phase one, dredging on two critical bottleneck areas along Rajang River (Sungai Sadit and Kerto) and construction of a culvert along Sg Maaw Road.
Works for phase one of the scheme costing RM3 million is expected to start in June and scheduled to be completed in about nine months.
From the amount – a sum of RM1.5 million would be allocated to Public Works Department (PWD) for raising the level of roads to 3.4 metres.
“The flood mitigation project for the west bank is mainly to protect vegetable farming areas from being inundated by floods,” he told reporters at Engkilo here, some half an hour’s drive from town.
PWD Sibu divisional engineer Vincent Tang and Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) state director Wong Siu Hieng also gave briefing on the projects.
Wong, who is also Second Finance Minister, pointed out that these areas are prone to flooding, saying the floods had brought losses to farmers, even for a day of flood as the vegetables would perish.
“It will take about 40 days to go through the whole process before harvesting can take place and farmers stand to lose a great deal,” he said.
The spill-over effect would force prices of greens to go up as they become scarce, he noted.
It is learned that there are about 200 farmers supplying vegetables to the town.
He also revealed that dredging would be carried out at two critical areas at Sungai Sadit and Kerto to remove siltation.
Wong disclosed that construction of a culvert costing RM300,000 would complement the existing ones there to mitigate flooding.
He added: “The construction of the culvert along Sungai Maaw Road will allow water from inland to flow faster into the river.”
Meanwhile, Siu Hieng said Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah had allocated RM3 million for the phase one project, adding that from the sum – RM1.5 million would be used by PWD to raise the 1.5 km stretch of Sg Maaw Road to about two feet to act as a bund.
He also said about 400 metres of the front portion of Ing Kiong Road would also be raised, and that three flood gates would be constructed for phase one while the number of pumping stations would be decided later.
On dredging, he said an allocation of RM5 million had been received but the actual cost of the project had yet to be known at this point in time, explaining this was because the survey had just been completed.
To a question, he said the siltation at Kerto was more serious, for which works to dredge the two critical areas are expected to start in June after the tender is closed in May.
He also refuted the perception that dredging is a final solution to flooding as incorrect.
“Dredging would help shorten the duration of flooding and facilitate navigation of vessels but would not keep out floods. And during king tide, flooding will still occur.
“Hence, it is necessary for a comprehensive effort comprising bunding, flood gates, raising of roads and pumping stations to be done to keep out floods,” he clarified.
Citing the implementation of such initiatives in Bau, he said flooding there had been kept at bay.
Conversely, he recalled when river mouths at Sg Antu and Sg Merah were dredged, water flowed smoothly but siltation built up again after a while, reiterating that dredging alone is not the long term solution to flooding.
He also revealed that another allocation of RM1.5 million had been approved for drainage improvement works in Bawang Assan constituency.
Asked on phase two of the Sungai Bidut flood mitigation project, he said it was under the second rolling plan.