Kuching, Aug 29, 2012): PKR Sarawak Wanita has called on the state government to widen and deepen the drainage system in Batu Kawa areas, especially along Jalan Kong Ping, Jalan Bayan, Jalan Dogan, Jalan Stephen Yong, Jalan Arang and RPR Batu Kawa.
PKR National Wanita vice head Voon Shiak Ni said today each that time there is a brief heavy rain, these areas are hit by flash floods.
She said the residents of Jalan Bayan have complained that the road was under two feet of water after 30 minutes of heavy rain last Monday.
Picture left: The drainage system is being widened, but still not enough
“The flash floods have something to do with the narrow drainage system at Jalan Bayan,” Voon, who is also the PKR Stampin deputy head, told reporters.
“We were told by the residents that there used to be 30 to 40 houses along Bayan in the old days, but now there are about 3,000 of them. The drainage system, however, has remained or less the same,” she said.
As a result, she said that Jalan Bayan would be hit by flash floods three to four times a year.
She said the narrow and small drains could not accommodate the huge volume of water after heavy rain, hence the road is flooded.
“The drains should be widened and deepened to ensure a smooth flow of monsoon water to the river,” she said.
Voon also said that many low lying residential areas are also often hit by flash floods because the monsoon drains are clogged due to construction of houses and other development.
Picture right: Voon talking to one of the residents of Jalan Bayan
“The planning of more housing estates and further development should come with good planning for the drainage system to ease the drainage and to contain flash floods each time heavy rain falls,” she said.
Voon said that the government should tak
e the occurrences of major floods in Kuching over the past years as a lesson for them to take the necessary steps in the flood-proned Batu Kawa areas.
Picture left: Voon listening attentively to a resident of Jalan Bayan
She said that the state government appears to have lack of detailed study and a clear masterplan on how to minimise the occurrences of flash floods.
“We are still unaware of any masterplan by the Drainage and Irrigation Department to contain the flash floods and we urge all the relevant authorities which include JKR and Lands and Surveys, to sit together and to come up with a master plan,” she said. By Sematong Express
