KUCHING: Regular dredging and drain maintenance remain among the key measures to reduce flooding in the Batu Kitang constituency and nearby areas.
Batu Kitang assemblyman, Datuk Lo Khere Chiang, said flooding remained a concern in areas such as the 8th and 9th Mile areas, although completely eliminating the problem would be difficult.
He said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has been carrying out dredging and vegetation clearing as part of flood mitigation efforts to improve the flow of rainwater.
“We may not be able to solve flooding problems completely, but we can open up drains and clear vegetation.
“DID has been doing a lot of dredging. They bring their equipment in to dredge the drains, clear the vegetation and allow better flow of rainwater,” he said.
He said this during a press conference after a Community Engagement and Dialogue session at Open University Malaysia (OUM) Kuching Branch here today.
Lo said regular maintenance was necessary as vegetation in earth drains could grow back quickly after clearing.
He added that constructing concrete drains was not feasible in every location, particularly in established housing areas where drainage routes may pass through or alongside private properties.
“There are a lot of areas where we cannot build concrete drains because of private property.
“So, there are a lot of earth drains around. That’s why we need to dredge them and continue clearing them.
“The council also clears concrete drains and removes rubbish from them. Maintenance of existing drains, including earth drains, is something we have to continue doing,” he said.
