The Sungai Pinang flood mitigation project was initiated in the mid-1990s, but only two out of the three phases had been completed to date.
It is the country’s largest flood mitigation project covering a 51 sq km river basin with six tributaries undertaken by the federal department of irrigation and drainage (DID). It was earlier estimated to cost RM650 million.
However, the final phase never took off after federal funds for the project were held up over the past two decades.
With the RM150 million for the third phase finally allocated last year, the project will begin in June and be completed by 2026.
Project won’t save most places from floods
However, according to state DID senior assistant director (management) Hafizah Ahmad, the project would have minimal impact on reducing flood risks.
She said the latest phase would reduce flood risk in a seven sq km area out of the overall 51 sq km river basin.
“I dare not say that with the RM150 million we are spending, there will be no floods at all, but just a reduction of flood risks.
“But if there are more funds, we can cover the entire 51 sq km river basin,” she said in a press conference with state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo.
Hafizah said Penang could use additional funds to build more water retention ponds on the upstream sections of the river in Air Itam.
Earlier, Jagdeep announced the plans under the third phase of the flood mitigation project. Under the phase, Sungai Pinang will be widened and deepened from Jalan Patani to Jalan Air Itam and have jogging and cycling tracks on its banks.
Three major bridges on arterial roads in town will be torn down and heightened at the Jalan Patani, Jalan Perak and Jalan Air Itam.
DID will also upgrade three other small bridges for pedestrian-motorcycle use across Kampung Rawa, Lorong Kulit and Jalan Langkawi.
A flood alleviation plan that took forever
The 3.2km Sungai Pinang is the longest river in the island, with some 10 tributaries, including Sungai Dondang, Sungai Air Putih, Sungai Air Terjun, Sungai Jelutong, Sungai Kecil and Sungai Air Itam.
In 1998, the flood mitigation project was planned to alleviate the problem of frequent flash floods. The project’s first phase began in 1998 with the widening and deepening of the river, from the estuary to the Jalan Patani bridge, at a cost of RM6.45 million.
The second phase was carried out between the Jalan Patani bridge and Dhoby Ghaut near Dato Keramat in 1999.
The final phase focused on the last upstream portion of the river. It is two-pronged – to improve water quality as well as to widen and deepen the river.
It was delayed as the city council had to evict squatters by the riverbank. Some 120 of them have since been moved out.
However, funds for the final phase never came from the federal government since 2016, despite repeated promises. Major flood mitigation projects are under federal jurisdiction, with the cost borne by Putrajaya.
Only RM150 million for Sungai Pinang RTB
Last year, the environment and water ministry announced that it had allocated RM259.9 million for flood mitigation projects in Penang under the 12th Malaysia Plan. This includes the same RM150 million earlier reported for the Sungai Pinang project.
Sungai Pinang, one of the state’s most polluted rivers, is often the cause of flash floods in parts of the island, carrying water from the Penang Hill range to at least 10 tributaries.
Whenever there is heavy rain, Sungai Pinang swells with massive volumes of water, and its tributaries hit dangerous levels and affect residents on their banks.
The Caunter Hall area — Jalan P Ramlee and Jalan Perak — is often hit with flood waters about a metre high. In the historic September 2017 Penang floods, most tributaries overflowed their banks or hit dangerous levels.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram