Mak Mandin flood mitigation project starts year-end

BUTTERWORTH: A RM40 million flood mitigation project for Mak Mandin is expected to begin towards the end of the year.
Penang Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the project involves upgrading the drainage systems in the area, which is a 4.45km sq catchment area for Sungai Mak Mandin, and building a 2.3km monsoon drain from Teluk Payer to channel water out to Sungai Prai.
Chow said a new pump house will also be built at the Taman Bagan tidal gate to replace the temporary pumps there.
He said the new pumps are 12 times more powerful than the existing ones and are capable of pumping 7.5 cubic metres of water per second.
He said the project will help address the issue of flooding in the area which affects 255 residences in Taman Cantik and Taman Bagan, 30 factories and four schools.
"Work will commence once the contractors are appointed," he said in a press conference at the site with State Works, Transportation and Utilities Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng.
The project comes after Taman Bagan and the surrounding areas experiences flash floods on March 28 following heavy rain.
theSun had then reported that hundreds of residents were affected as water entered into their homes.
Meanwhile, Penang Housing, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh urged the federal government to quickly disburse the RM150 million allocated for the Sungai Pinang flood mitigation project.
He said only RM1 million has been disbursed for a study so far and questioned why the full sum could not be given so the project could be implemented without delay.
He also expressed hope the project could begin sooner than the expected November start date at a press conference today.