Johor state exco: Segamat flood mitigation plan has reduced number of victims by 52pc

ISKANDAR PUTERI, June 19 — The implementation of the Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB) Phase 1 has succeeded in reducing the number of flood victims in the Segamat district by 52 per cent to 11,040 people, the Johor State Legislative Assembly was told today.

State Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman K Raven Kumar said before the RTB Phase 1 was carried out, there were 21,158 flood victims in the district.

He said the work under RTB Phase 1, which was carried out between 2011 to 2016, involved six packages including upgrading works on Sungai Genuang and Sungai Chodan, construction of the Genuang bridge and diversion of Sungai Segamat-Sungai Genuang.

“The total cost for RTB Phase 1 is RM172.8 million. However, there are still some areas that are experiencing floods, namely Kampung Pogoh Tengah, Kampung Bukit Limau Manis, Kampung Sri Rahmat, Kampung Chodan and Kampung Seberang Batu Badak, involving 252 flood victims.

“The flood occurred due to the overflow of Sungai Muar into the Pogoh area,” he said when answering an oral question at the First Meeting of the 15th Johor State Legislative Assembly at the Sultan Ismail Building, here, today.

Raven (BN-Tenggaroh) said at the same time, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has prepared a long-term plan through the RTB Segamat Phase 2 project which will be implemented in two packages.

“The Mentri Besar of Johor (Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi) has also approved an allocation of RM500,000 to carry out survey work this year.

“I believe with the preparation of a long-term plan through the RTB Segamat Phase 2 project with a total cost of RM650 million, the Johor government is committed to reducing the number of flood victims in the Segamat district,” he said.

Raven said this when answering an oral question from N. Saraswati (BN-Kemelah) who wanted to know the state government’s action in preventing floods in the Segamat district as well as her supplementary question on how the RTB project has succeeded in reducing the number of flood victims in the district.

Segamat became the first district in Johor to be hit by floods earlier this year, affecting thousands of residents, and resulting in many of them being evacuated to temporary evacuation centres (PPS). — Bernama