MIRI: The Miri City Council has ordered immediate cleaning and desilting of drainage channels in Piasau Utara after recent flash floods exposed weaknesses in the area’s drainage system.
Mayor and Pujut assemblyman Adam Yii said on Wednesday (Jan 14) inspections carried out earlier in the afternoon in Piasau Utara and Pujut Adong, together with council officers and engineers, revealed multiple factors restricting water flow and increasing flood risk.
Among the key issues identified were non-compliant drainage culverts at private driveway entrances.
Yii said some culverts were either blocked or undersized, failing to meet specifications and significantly reducing overall drainage efficiency.
“These weaknesses affect the entire drainage network,” he said, adding that the council’s immediate focus would be on clearing drains to ensure rainwater could flow out smoothly.
Problems linked to driveway culverts would be addressed in the next phase of remedial works.
Yii also noted that many drains in the Piasau Utara area are earth drains, which are particularly vulnerable to blockage.
The council will assist with cleaning works to ensure the drains remain unobstructed and functional.
He said flash floods would generally not occur if the drainage system was operating properly.
However, flooding becomes more likely when river water levels rise to the same level as the drains, preventing rainwater from being discharged from residential areas.
“The purpose of today’s inspection was to identify practical and feasible solutions to improve drainage capacity in Piasau Utara and Pujut Adong, with the aim of reducing flood risks in a fundamental way,” Yii said.
During the inspection, Yii also found that a development project in Pujut 2D may have contributed to flooding in nearby housing areas.
He instructed council officers to immediately engage with the developer to mitigate the problem and prevent further impact on surrounding communities.
The Miri City Council is expected to commence the drainage cleaning works without delay, while further action is taken to address structural deficiencies and compliance issues across the affected areas.
