See: Dedicated taskforce a must to address flood situation in Sg Tabuan

KUCHING: A call has been made on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem to direct the bigwigs from the Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment, Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) and state Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to commission a taskforce that could immediately study and look into the reasons as to why Sungai Tabuan failed to drain out water during the downpour yesterday.

Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, who made this call, said the situation had caused possibly the worst flood that brought damage to the households in Kampung Tabuan Dayak and areas within its vicinity.

He said yesterday, the state capital experienced one of the worst floods that ever hit it over the last few decades.

However, he noticed that while floodwater in other parts of the city had receded by yesterday afternoon, Kampung Tabuan Dayak remained inundated.

“This is mostly due to the fact that the water level in Sungai Tabuan has remained high; hence, (it is) unable to drain out the water that has filled the drains and remained inside the houses,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

“Although many are blaming the construction works that have been carried out along the bank and in the immediate vicinity of Sungai Tabuan, I would think that the relevant ministries and departments must carry out a thorough investigation into the cause to ensure that immediate remedial works could be carried out to prevent recurrence of such ruinous flooding, which would result to costly damage to properties and also a threat to the safety of the residents.” See pointed out that the state government had carried out numerous initiatives to clean up Sungai Tabuan, but it appeared to be no effort towards ensuring that this river would better serve one of its key functions — being among the major rivers in Kuching that drain out water during floods.

“The dredging and proper embankment of Sungai Tabuan is long overdue.

“The study to improve the functions of Sungai Tabuan must be carried out; the improvement and remedial works must be implemented immediately.

“I certainly hope that the chief minister would be briefed of today’s (yesterday’s) serious flooding and necessary financial allocations be urgently made to improve the drainage in all the cities and towns in Sarawak.”  - Borneo Post.