GEORGETOWN: The state-level Federal Action Council is proposing a flood mitigation plan for both short and long terms which would cost about RM1 billion.
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman, said the council had formulated the total solution in its meeting today and will propose it to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during his visit to the state, tomorrow.
Zainal, who is also the special adviser to the prime minister on the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), said the council will also propose the plan to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, as the allocation for it would be given only after both the federal and state governments had approved the plan.
“Both federal and state governments must work together to overcome the perpetual flood problem in the state. The recurrence of flooding here is too frequent and the people are the ones who suffer,” he told reporters after the council’s meeting at Penang Federal Development office.
The council meeting was also attended by Barisan Nasional state chairman Teng Chang Yeow.
Zainal said the people also have to be educated to not throw rubbish in rivers and drains as this contributes to the flash flood problems.
“The short term plan will include the cleaning of rubbish and debris from rivers and drains. No matter how big the budget will be, it won’t solve the flood matter if the people keep on throwing rubbish in them,” he said.
Zainal added that the short term plan will also include emergency work, as well as repairing of water bunds and pump houses which were affected by the floods, while the long term plan involves the planning of a better drainage system and solving the issue of underground cables which get in the way of water movement.
He said Najib was expected to have a discussion about the flood mitigation plan with the state government tomorrow. He is also expected to visit flood victims in Bukit Mertajam, Permatang Pauh and Sungai Dua, Kepala Batas, tomorrow.
Zainal said the budget can be given in stages to execute both plans, with the long term plan expected to be realised by 2020.
He said this flood mitigation plan was different from the three-phase Sungai Pinang Flood Mitigation Programme initiated by the federal government in 2003.
He said the third phase of the programme, worth RM150 million, was expected to begin in January, next year.