Bernama 31 Mar 09;
SIBU, March 31 (Bernama) -- An integrated river management basin study for major rivers in Sarawak will be conducted to identify and solve the problems of flooding and environmental damage posed by the river system in the state.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas said Tuesday the study was expected to be implemented under the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP).
"Non-structure measures to mitigate flooding may be formulated after this study," he told reporters after chairing a meeting and briefing on Sibu flood mitigation projects undertaken by the ministry at the Public Works Department (PWD) office here.
Under the present Ninth Malaysian Plan (9MP), Uggah said, RM346 million would be spent on four flood mitigation projects in Sarawak.
The RM29 million flood mitigation project in Miri and the RM32 million project in Bau would be completed this year while phase one of the RM148 million project in Kuching would be completed next year, he said.
For phase one of the RM137 million Sibu flood mitigation project, he said, the contract was given on Feb 9 and the work involving raising 2.4km of the Lanang Road and 0.4km of the Alam Road, upgrading 4.7km of roadside drain and building three tidal control gates and two pump stations would begin soon and be completed by 2011.
"The implementation of phase two will start in 2011 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 10MP," he said.
He said RM5 million had been allocated to improve the telemetry stations in Sibu as an early warning system to warn Sibu folk of impending floods when there is heavy rainfall in the upper Batang Rajang.
He, however, stressed that the flood problems in Sibu would not be totally solved with the implementation of several flood mitigation projects by the federal government as there were certain factors beyond human control, like the weather patterns.-- BERNAMA
