‘Comprehensive, integrated flood-mitigation plan needed’

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has to implement a comprehensive and integrated floodmitigation master plan to prevent the severe floods affecting Penang and Kedah from recurring .

Institution of Engineers Malaysia president Dr Tan Yean Chin said: “The Irrigation and Drainage Department has implemented flood-mitigation measures in both states to alleviate flood problems and efforts are ongoing to improve the situation.

“More allocations are needed in view of the dire situation so that the problems can be solved in an integrated and comprehensive manner.

“Non-structural measures are also important to improve the situation, such as flood forecasting and warning systems for all major river basins, relocation of people from flood-prone areas and land-use control,” said Tan yesterday.

He said the master plan should include flood mitigation and preventive action for current and future developments, land-use changes as well as climatic change factors.

Tan said the combination of factors — such as heavy rainfall, river systems and drainage systems in both states having a capacity of less than the 100-year Average Recurrence Interval (ARI), the tide level which was close to Highest Astronomical Tide, and strong winds and surges — had prevented flood flows from being discharged into the sea.

Tan said developers had a role to play in ensuring that their projects complied with the Mesra Alam Malaysia manual which emphasised source control.