SIBU: A culvert upgrading project will be implemented at Sungai Sadit, west bank here to address the long-standing drainage issues and frequent flash floods at the area.
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Bawang Assan Branch chairman, Cr Kevin Lau Kor Jie, together with his team and engineers from the Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) yesterday visited Lorong 3, Nam Ping Chiong to witness the official handover of a culvert upgrading project to the appointed contractor.
The project is funded under the Bawang Assan Special Rural Transformation Programme (RTP).
The handover marked the formal commencement of an important infrastructure project aimed at improving local safety and living conditions.
Lau said that earlier, Kapitan Chew Hoo Kiong had conveyed residents’ concerns regarding the existing culvert, which was too narrow to cope with water flow.
Due to its limited capacity, he said, wastewater was discharged slowly, creating a bottleneck during the rainy season or periods of heavy discharge, and resulting in frequent flash floods in the area.
Pointing out that the prolonged strong water flow had also caused serious soil erosion on both sides of the culvert, gradually narrowing the road, he said this not only affected traffic flow but also posed safety risks to residents and road users.
According to Lau, discussions with SRDC engineers had begun as early as July last year and various suitable solutions were explored to address the problem at its root.
With the contractor now in place, he was pleased that the project could finally move forward.
He called on local residents to continue cooperating closely with all relevant parties to ensure that the works proceed smoothly and are completed on schedule.
At the same time, he stressed that his team would closely monitor the progress of the project and return to the site upon completion for a final inspection to ensure that construction quality met the required standards.
“I am confident that once the culvert upgrading project is fully implemented, wastewater discharge in the area will be significantly improved, the risk of flooding effectively reduced, and overall safety and the living environment for residents substantially enhanced,” added Lau, who is also SUPP Youth Central Chief.
