DID to call for tender for Sg S’wak Integrated River Basin Development Project early November

Kho (second left) joined by (from left) See, Law and Wee conduct site visit at one of the areas included in the flood mitigation project here today.

KUCHING (Oct 28): The Sungai Sarawak Integrated River Basin Development Project (PLSB) can now move forward after the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Sarawak has been allowed to call for tenders this early November.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Women chief Kho Teck Wan said DID Sarawak had received RM6.9 million for the payment of land acquisition at Batu Lintang area as of May this year, out of the RM150 million allocated to the PLBS flood mitigation project for Bandar Kuching.

She expressed her gratitude to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian and his team for making a working visit to Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

“The outcome of such visit has managed to get the kind assistance from Minister Nik Nazmi to follow up with MOF (Ministry of Finance) to expedite all necessary processes including financial and administrative documentation by MOF.

Earlier today, Kho with Kuching South mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) engineer Zaidi Pathi followed up with DID Sarawak on the progress of the flood mitigation project at Jalan Batu Lintang and the Sarawak General Hospital areas.

“DID Sarawak deputy director Law Wee and his team of DID engineers together with project consultant took us to the Jalan Batu Lintang and Sarawak General Hospital sites to explain on how the new flood mitigation design will resolve flash flood issue at Jalan Batu Lintang and Sarawak General Hospital (SGH),” she said.

Two detention ponds – 1.5 acres and 1.9 acres each, two RC drains both about 300 meters and culvert were proposed for flood mitigation at Jalan Batu Lintang.

This project, which would take two years, will resolve flash flood issues near southeast of Jalan Batu Lintang namely Lintang Park, Taman Kelly, Taman Wingli, and Lorong Batu Lintang 8, said Kho.

“Another critically needed project is at SGH. With a 1.9-acre wide detention pond and new 640-meter RC drain to be constructed, the flash flood issue will be resolved at the SGH.“This flood mitigation project is also targeted to be completed in two years’ time. Once completed, the detention pond area will turn into a public walking park,” she said.

She pointed out that DID Sarawak had stressed that although the proposed flood mitigation projects will resolve the flash flood issue at Jalan Batu Lintang and Sarawak General Hospital, it is not designed to prevent flood due to phenomena of high tide and drainage blockage.

For the record, PLSB was a federal funded project under the 11th Malaysia Plan approved during former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration prior to 2016.

It was approved to mitigate flooding in the greater Kuching area.

Despite the overwhelming support shown by the voters in Bandar Kuching and Stampin to the Pakatan Harapan in the 2018 General Election, the much-needed Kuching flood mitigation plan was put under review by the PH government after GE14 in 2018.

After much delay, the project was finally given the green light to resume in 2020.