KOTA SAMARAHAN, Dec 11 — The government will expedite the construction of flood mitigation projects and upgrading of the drainage system in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, with work set to start in the first quarter of 2022.

Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusuf said the projects, costing RM30 million, would be implemented by the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and Integrated Regional Samarahan Development Agency (IRSDA).

He said the projects need to be expedited to overcome flood problems in Kota Samarahan, especially in the Taman Uni Garden and Taman Samarindah housing areas as well as the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Muara Tuang area.

“All these plans will be implemented next year. It is the residents’ hope that we can ensure the allocation and selection of contractors and consultants can be speeded up.

“… be it allocation from the Federal Government or the state government, this is their hope. I have come here to give our commitment to them,” he told reporters after attending a briefing on the Kota Samarahan Flood Mitigation Plan at the Samarahan Division DID Auditorium here today.

Fadillah said that the DID would obtain ownership of 6.8 hectares of land to be used as catchment ponds to manage water overflow that occurs during downpours in the Taman Samarindah and SK Muara Tuang areas while drainage widening projects would be carried out for the Taman Uni Garden area. — Bernama