KUANTAN: The Pahang government has formulated a short-term plan to reduce the risk of floods, which includes, among other things, river conservation works and upgrading flood retention ponds in each district, says Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

       He added the state Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) received an allocation of RM20.36mil from the Federal Government for preserving the river, involving 158 projects at RM16.54mil, upgrading flood reservoirs (36 projects at RM1.9mil), and the balance for the upgrade work of two dams.

       According to Wan Rosdy, state DID also received an allocation of RM6.14mil to carry out 42 contingency emergency works related to floods, while the state Public Works Department (PWD) is now actively carrying out repair work on roads and slopes damaged due to the disaster.

       "To date, there are eight locations approved under the periodic pavement maintenance programme amounting to RM5.4mil, five locations for the implementation of non-pavement programmes (RM5.3mil), and five other locations have been approved under the slope repair programme (RM14.4mil),” he said.

       Wan Rosdy said this in his reply to a question from Datuk Md Sohaimi Mohamed Shah (BN-Sungai Lembing), who wanted to know the state government’s short-and long-term action plans in handling flood issues at the state legislative assembly meeting on Thursday (March 31).

       According to the long-term plan, Wan Rosdy said that there are a few projects approved under the 12th Malaysian Plan (12MP), with an estimated allocation of RM106mil to reduce flood risks, among other things involving flood mitigation plans and integrated river basin development.

       State DID has also submitted 36 new applications, related to long-term project proposals to reduce flood risks, while PWD through the State Economic Planning Division (BPEN) has presented eight new road proposals that can be used as alternative routes, so that communication is not cut off during floods.

       "I also understand that the federal government has agreed to implement an upgrade project on the East Coast Highway Phase One (LPT1), which is always closed during floods, such as in Lanchang, Temerloh, which makes it difficult to transport goods.

       "The project is expected to start this July,” he added. - Bernama