KUBANG PASU: Kedah requires eight additional flood mitigation projects, with an estimated cost of nearly RM900 million, to resolve flood woes in the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has submitted an application for the projects to the federal government.
The projects are estimated to cost RM897,795,000 and the DID has submitted the application under the fifth rolling plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan.
"The flood mitigation projects are crucial to solving flood woes in the state.
"The current flooding is the second worst in recent years, after the 2010 massive floods," he told reporters after visiting flood evacuees at the temporary flood relief centre in SMK Tunku Indera Putra in Sungai Korok here.
Present were State Secretary Datuk Seri Norizan Khazali and state executive councillors, Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah and Datuk Halimaton Shaadiah Saad.
Sanusi said out of the eight proposed projects, five are flood mitigation projects for Sungai Temin/Bata in Kubang Pasu (RM287.3 million); Sungai Karangan, Kulim (RM165 million); Sungai Petani Phase 1 (RM140 million); Alor Semeliang (RM127 million) and Sungai Perik (RM140 million) both in Padang Terap.
The other three projects are Sungai Kulim rehabilitation (RM25.3 million); Sungai Anak Bukit rehabilitation (RM66 million) and Taman Selasih in Kulim (RM47.195 million).
Sanusi said six flood mitigation projects approved by the federal government are currently under construction in the state.
Five of them are flood mitigation projects, namely Sungai Kedah/Anak Bukit package 2 (RM76.6 million); Pendang package 1 (RM103 million); Pendang package 2 (RM156.9 million); Bandar Jitra Selatan (RM34.68 million); and Baling phase 2 (RM118 million) and a sabo dam in Sungai Kupang, Baling costing RM22.8 million.
He added that six flood mitigation projects in Kedah costing RM309.5 million, approved by the federal government earlier, are currently in procurement and design processes.
Three of them are flood mitigation projects, namely Baling phase 1 in Sungai Kupang (RM15 million); Sungai Bongkok, Kuala Muda (RM68.2 million), and Bandar Baharu (RM150 million).
The other projects are a coastal erosion mitigation project from Kampung Sungai Pial to Kampung Tanjung Dawai (RM22 million); Pantai Merdeka rehabilitation (RM30.3 million) and a mitigation project for high tide and coastal erosion (RM24 million).
On a related matter, Sanusi said an unusual volume of rainfall that coincided with the high tide phenomenon has been identified as amongst the main contributors to the current flooding.
However, he said the overall situation is expected to improve as the weather conditions are getting better.
"The situation is improving in Kubang Pasu district with only five PPS still in operation, with some of them already started cleaning up work at their respective homes.
"However, there is an increase of evacuees in Kota Setar district that is flooded as water flowing down from the upper stream got stagnant due to the high tide phenomenon," he said.
Seven out of the 11 districts in Kedah have been ravaged by floods since Monday, with the highest number of evacuees was recorded on Saturday at over 8,400 people.