Three Johor districts given priority to implement flood mitigation projects

BATU PAHAT, March 5 (Bernama) -- Three districts in Johor namely Kota Tinggi, Segamat and Batu Pahat will be given priority to implement mitigation plans for floods (RTB), said Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi

He said the three districts have been identified to experience flooding with high water levels following continuous rains.

"We reckon the projects are going to be costly as high as RM1 billion," he said when met after visiting flood victims at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Medan relief centre here, today.

Today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during his visit to Segamat assured that the RTB projects will be expedited especially in Johor, to begin operations this June.

Onn Hafiz in expressing his gratitude over the announcement said with the move several issues can be resolved quickly.  

Onn Hafiz also visited Sekolah Kebangsaan Jenis (C) Chong Hwa, Sri Medan relief centre, which had been sheltering flood evacuees for the past two days and it is understood that the centre will cease to operate should the water level continue to rise.

In another development, the Menteri Besar said his office would through the relevant agencies investigate the claims by residents of Kuala Paya, Segamat that cracks in the embankment at Spang Loi near here, had caused water to rise rapidly in the area.

He said an allocation of RM5 million has been set aside for the embankment repair works and the tender process would be completed next month.

"That (tender) too will also be resolved immediately and the authorities will investigate the (cracked embankment) issue," he said.

In January last year, the Spang Loi embankment which was completed in 2019, burst and caused flooding in Kampung Spang Loi and the surrounding villages when Sungai Muar started to overflow.

The then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced a RM5 million allocation to upgrade the bunds at Kampung Spang Loi to deal with flood problems at the village and its surrounding areas.

-- BERNAMA