Kota Kinabalu: Government agencies and elected representatives are urged to identify small-scale projects that can be implemented immediately to reduce flood risks, particularly in flood-prone areas around Kota Kinabalu and Sepanggar.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the number of disasters, especially floods and landslides, had increased amid unpredictable weather conditions and heavier rainfall.
He said the relevant agencies, Parliament and State constituencies had been asked to submit a list of proposed projects to Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) within two weeks to facilitate efforts to address the problems.
“These could include river dredging, maintenance of existing drains and the construction of new drains where necessary,” he said in a press conference after chairing the Special Coordination Meeting of the Kota Kinabalu District Disaster Committee with DBKK here, Wednesday.
Mustapha, who is also the Sepanggar MP, said the initiatives were crucial in flood-prone areas to reduce the impact on residents.
He attributed the recurring floods to several factors, including increased rainfall, inadequate drainage maintenance and ageing drainage systems that were no longer sufficient to cope with current conditions.
He said some older housing areas had been developed with drainage systems designed for the rainfall patterns at the time, but these were now struggling to cope with heavier downpours.
He cited Taman Wijaya Park and Kampung Rampayan as examples of areas affected by surrounding development, where higher ground levels in neighbouring areas could cause water to accumulate.
Mustapha said short-term measures included dredging rivers, maintaining existing drains and constructing alternative drainage channels where feasible.
He added that the authorities must also prepare for increasingly unpredictable rainfall, which could trigger flash floods and landslides.
On longer-term measures, Mustapha said the second phase of the Rampayan River flood mitigation project would be included under the Rolling Plan 2 (RP2) of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which he believed would help reduce flood risks along the river and its adjoining areas.
He urged residents, particularly those living in flood-prone areas across Sabah, including Kota Kinabalu and Sepanggar, to remain vigilant as the Northeast Monsoon season had begun.
“Rainfall is increasing and the risk of flooding will continue. We must be prepared to face this phenomenon,” he said.
