KUCHING: There is a dire need for better and improved maintenance of drainage systems in Sibu to avoid flooding in low-lying areas, said Dudong assemblyman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP, said he met with Sarawak Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) director Ahmad Denny Ahmad Fauzi to discuss on DID’s riverbed survey work on relevant rivers with sedimentary build-up.
“Updates and discussions on ways to improve the Sibu flood drainage systems covering the Rajang, Seduan, Salim Rivers and their related tributaries were also brought up.
“Denney informed that the DID had completed the process to appoint a company to carry out the river survey work for the Rajang and Igan Rivers,” he said in a statement today (26 Aug).
He also said that the company appointed would be able to begin this project next week and expected to be completed within six months.
“Right now, we can see with our own eyes that the tributaries of the rivers have become much more stagnant due to a lack of regular maintenance. This worsened the flow of the river waters and raised the water levels to alarming levels parallel with the river banks.
“The dredging works done by the authorities are also too infrequent and limited in scope. All in all, a lot of sediment and waste is deposited at the river’s bottom, causing more blockages and taking away nature’s ability to smoothly drain excess rainwater to the rivers”, he said.
In this matter, Tiong suggested that the improvement and maintenance of the drainage in each residential area should be placed under the purview of the DID, which must conduct a comprehensive study to aid future planning and upgrade of all mud drains to reinforced concrete drains, according to their natural gradient.
He added that without improving and maintaining the drainage in each residential area , many low-lying areas will be subjected to more floods caused by excess rain.
“With the problem of climate change gradually worsening, it is vital for us to determine how our current flood mitigation systems can manage”, he added.
As such, he urged the DID once again to introduce a robust and effective flood mitigation system, taking into account the sedimentation of the two main rivers’ beds.
“It is necessary to be precise in this issue to formulate a solution that treats both the symptoms and the root causes.
“At the same time, Denney will be making a visit to Sibu next month and personally inspect the state of the rivers by boat and make spot checks to prepare for the start of the riverbed survey projects with us”, he said.
