MELAKA (Bernama): The Melaka government needs an allocation of about RM53mil to implement two projects to overcome flood issues in the Sungai Putat area involving the Sungai Putat flood retention pond here.

       Melaka State Secretary Datuk Kamel Mohamad said the two projects involved constructing a concrete sheet pile and widening the retention pond in stages once the allocation was received from the Federal government.

       "The implementation of these two projects involves short, medium and long term approaches to ensure that the issue of floods in Sungai Putat caused by the retention pond here can be resolved.

       "We have applied for allocations from the Federal government to implement these two projects and the state government hopes it gets approved immediately," he said when met by reporters while inspecting the retention pond here on Thursday (Nov 11).

       Sungai Putat is an area frequently hit by floods and just last month Melaka Tengah Senior Fire Officer Mohd Diya Che Jusoh died after losing consciousness during a flood rescue operation there. - Bernama