KUCHING: The recent flash floods in the city area were caused by heavy rainfall exceeding normal levels, according to Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) mayor Hilmy Othman.
He said that last Sunday, flash floods occurred due to intense rainfall from 6am to 11am.
“The Meteorological Department recorded a rainfall of 150mm. However, the city drainage system can only accommodate rainfall up to 100mm at this point.
“The prolonged and heavy rainfall resulted in the inability to handle such a large volume of water, leading to overflow in low-lying areas.”
He said this after attending the DBKU Special Assembly at Pengkalan Sapi, Petra Jaya here on Thursday (Feb 1).
He added that as the city areas affected are mostly under the administrative of DBKU, the city hall has taken an approach by maintaining several stormwater drains in the Brooke Dockyard area and its surroundings.
“In the afternoon, the flood completely receded, and the issue was resolved.
“Meanwhile, in the Metrocity Matang area, flash floods would not normally occur because the area has a fairly comprehensive drainage system.
“However, due to a drainage system improvement project carried out by DBKU leading from Metrocity to Bulatan Emart, it caused water overflow,” he said, adding that the project is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
When asked about long-term plans, he noted that the flood mitigation program would be carried out by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).
“This includes areas like Taman Sejoli, Taman Murni, which were recently affected by flash floods.
“Moreover, the DID will also initiate flood mitigation projects for the Sarawak General Hospital area. This is a Sarawak government initiative under the DID to address flash flood issues in the city areas under the supervision of DBKU, including Kuching South City Council,” Hilmy added.
