ALOR STAR, Jan 19 — Kedah will form a special committee to monitor the progress of three problematic flood mitigation projects costing RM400 million.

The committee comprising the Drainage and Irrigation Department, several state government and federal government agencies will meet once every two months to resolve the problems.

State Local Government, Water Supply, Water Resources and Energy, Housing and Human Development Committee chairman Datuk Badrul Hisham Hashim said the projects are in Alor Star, Pendang dan Bandar Baharu.

“The completion of the three flood mitigation projects have been delayed due to land reclamation problems.

“This is because the residents have refused to move out,” he told a press conference after visiting Bazar Melayu Empire here, today.

The flood mitigation projects, which began last year, were scheduled for completion next year (2016).

About 1,000 families in Sungai Anak Bukit (Alor Setar) Sungai Pendang (Pendang) and Sungai Bandar Baharu (Bandar Baharu) had refused to move out despite offered compensation by the federal government.

Badrul Hisham hopes the residents would cooperate with the state government in implementing the projects to prevent a repeat of the big flood, which hit Kedah in 2010.

He said the state government was concerned with the trend of big flood once every five years adding the flood mitigation projects would reduce the impact of flooding in low-lying areas.

“We must learn a lesson from the big flood in the east coast states, especially in Kelantan. Urgency must be given to the flood mitigation projects.”

The Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, in a speech to mark his 87th birthday celebration yesterday urged the state government to expedite the implementation of the flood mitigation projects. — Bernama