KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Kampung Hulu and Kampung Hilir in Serian may finally see long-term relief from recurring erosion with the Batang Sadong River Conservation Project scheduled to begin in mid-2027 under the 12th Malaysia Plan’s (12MP’s) Rolling Plan 5.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said survey and detailed design works will be carried out this year.
Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) minister, said the RM72.8 million project involved constructing riverbank stabilisation structures to reduce the risk of further collapses along the affected stretches.
“The Ministry through the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) will implement the project,” he said in a written reply to a question from Serian MP Datuk Seri Dr Richard Riot Jaem at the Dewan Rakyat today (Aug 4).
For the record, DID director (River Basin Management Division) Norlida Mamad @ Samad visited several erosion sites in July to assess the extent of damage along the Batang Sadong riverbank.
Residents reported a series of collapses had occurred over the past few years, with the situation worsening during the flood season.
As part of earlier mitigation measures, the Sarawak government through the State Disaster Management Committee completed the Batang Sadong Bank Retaining Structure project at Kampung Hilir in September 2023 at a cost of RM499,000.
