(From second left) Lee and Fadillah inspecting the stone embankment at the Lutong beach.

MIRI (July 27): A total of five projects completed by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) have been handed over to the Sarawak government today.

The handing over was carried out by the Deputy Director General of DID Malaysia, Amiruddin Alaldin, as a representative of the federal government, while the director of Sarawak Implementation Monitoring Unit, Sapiah Daud, received as representative of the state government.

The ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) Dato’ Sri Fadillah Yusof.

Also present was Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, who is also Senadin assemblyman.

The handing over of the projects involved a federal allocation of RM52 million consisting of three Flood Mitigation Plan (FMP) projects and two coastal erosion projects.

The projects were FMP ​​Kampung Bako Resettlement Area, Kuching; FMP Kampung Sebemban Lembangan Batang Sadong, Sarawak; FMP Bintulu, Lembangan Sungai Kemena; Coastal Erosion Control Project in Kampung Kuala Hilir Oya, Mukah; and Estuary Conservation Project for Sarawak – Sematan Estuary Conservation Works, Kuching Division.

According to Fadillah, with the completion of the three flood mitigation projects, a total of 3,500 residents in the affected areas will be protected from the risk of flooding.

The implementation of the two coastal erosion projects will benefit nearly 11,000 residents and fishermen from the risk of flooding and coastal erosion.

During the handing over event, Fadillah and Lee also visited FMP Sungai Miri and the beach area in Lutong to see closely the problem of erosion there.

The RM25.6 million project has been implemented since October 2023 and is expected to be fully completed in October 2025.

Through the implementation of this project, an area of ​​1,100 hectares and an estimated 12,000 residents in the surrounding area will be spared from the risk of flood disasters.