KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — The Parliamentary Infrastructure, Transport and Communications Special Select Committee has urged the government to initiate flood mitigation projects immediately.
Committee chairman Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s Tanjong Manis MP Yusuf Abdul Wahab said the flood mitigation projects that were approved last year have yet to commence.
“The committee has evaluated presentations by the Housing and Local Government Ministry and the Irrigation and Drainage Department and found that major reasons for flooding in city centres are due to changes in rainfall patterns, impact from urbanisation and non-integrated development and insufficient drainage capacity.
“Based on those findings, the committee has given some recommendations. There is a need for studies and analyses using the latest data to be carried out to review areas that are often hit by flood, a follow-up project after the completion of Smart Tunnel and flood mitigation projects that have been approved by the government need to be implemented immediately,” Yusuf told a press conference at the Parliament building here today.
Regarding flood mitigation projects, Yusuf said the government did not only announce the projects but have approved them, but none have been carried out to date.
“We recommend that the government must implement the flood mitigation projects immediately,” he said.
Other recommendations included a need for more complete data on the number of losses due to flash floods, a comprehensive study of cost-effectiveness and impact for projects that involve flash flood areas, and setting up a centralised agency to regulate and monitor all flash floods and floods that occur in urban areas.
Last October, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that a total of 33 high-priority flood mitigation projects will be implemented next year amounting to RM11.8 billion.
He also reportedly said that to reduce the risk of stagnant and flash floods, the government will provide RM20 million to 150 local authorities to carry out repairs on damaged drains.
Meanwhile, the committee said they have also issued recommendations for repair and upgrade works to be carried out at the Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis ferry jetties.
