ISKANDAR PUTERI: Six flood mitigation projects in Johor will start between September and December, says state tourism, environment, heritage and culture committee chairman K. Raven Kumar.
He said four of the projects will start by September while two others are expected in December.
Flood mitigation work involving the four – Sungai Loi Segamat (Segamat), Sungai Batu Pahat and Sungai Batu Pahat-Sri Medan (Batu Pahat), and Sungai Kesang (Muar) – is expected to be completed between two and three years, he said.
As for the two in Kota Tinggi – Sungai Pemandi and phase one of Sungai Johor Kota Tinggi projects – are slated to be completed in five years, he added.
"One other project involving Kampung Sungai Kapal in Kota Tinggi will be carried out next year and expected to be completed in two years,” he said during the state assembly sitting here on Wednesday (March 22).
On March 6, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the implementation of some RM600mil worth of flood mitigation projects nationwide will be accelerated, given that floods have continued to be a recurrent issue.
However, despite the move to speed things up, the projects will still be going through tender procedures, he has said.
Raven Kumar said the topic of floods has dominated the state assembly meeting this time with many assemblymen raising the issue during their debates and speeches.
“The recent floods have definitely been a bitter memory for Bangsa Johor where some 85,000 people were affected and losses suffered were in the millions. Although the rain has stopped, many places still have stagnant flood waters.
“As such, the state government has taken proactive measures to pump out the stagnant water.
"As of Tuesday (March 21), 69 units of mobile pumps have been used to remove flood waters in seven districts. In Batu Pahat alone, 41 units were used as the district was most severely affected,” he said.
