RM68mil spent on over 500 flood mitigation projects in Melaka

MELAKA: A total of 522 flood mitigation projects involving an allocation of RM69.77mil have been implemented as short-term solutions, particularly in 124 hotspots in Melaka, the State Assembly was told on Tuesday (Dec 13).

Melaka Works, Transport, Public Facilities, Infrastructure, and Flood Management Committee chairman Datuk Rahmad Mariman said of the total, 190 flood mitigation projects were implemented in Melaka Tengah district with an allocation of RM38.15mil, Jasin (157 projects/RM15.54mil), and Alor Gajah (175 projects/RM16.08mil).

"All the mitigation projects concerned are small projects implemented as short-term solutions to flood woes," he said in reply to Datuk Hameed Mytheen Kunju Basheer (BN-Ayer Limau) who wanted to know the number of projects and allocations channelled to address flood problems in the state.

He said 45 new hotspots have been identified in the three districts and measures will be taken next year to deal with the floods in the area.

Rahmad said as a long-term measure, the first phase of the RM40mil Melaka River Flood Mitigation Plan will be implemented. The project is currently in the design stage and its construction will be put out to tender in May 2023.

In another development, he said the Melaka government had channelled RM1.4mil to 5,769 disaster victims, including from floods, from Jan 1 to Dec 12 this year.

"For flood disasters, the current aid of RM200 to RM500 has been increased from RM300 to RM700, while the rate for storm disasters has been increased from RM1,000-RM3,000 to RM2,000-RM4,000.

"For fire disasters, the existing aid will be increased from RM1,000-RM3,000 to RM2,000-RM5,000 and for other disasters from RM200-RM500 to RM300-RM500," he said. – Bernama