Kelantan Proposes River-linking Project To Mitigate Flooding In Pasir Mas, Tumpat
PASIR MAS, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- The Kelantan state government is proposing an estimated RM40 million river-linking project extending to Kuala Pengkalan Nangka to improve water flow and mitigate flooding in Pasir Mas and Tumpat.
State Public Works, Infrastructure, Water and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Dr Izani Husin said the proposal was still at a preliminary stage, with a working paper expected to be ready within a week.
He said the proposed project would stretch for about 10 kilometres from Sungai Lemal Lanchang through Sungai Meranti and Sungai Mentuan to Kuala Pengkalan Nangka.
“Currently, we only have the Sungai Golok estuary (as the only outlet). Creating another outlet towards Kuala Pengkalan Nangka could provide an alternative discharge route and help improve water flow,” he said.
“We estimate the project to cost around RM40 million, and the state government will seek the allocation from the federal government,” he told reporters after inspecting the Sungai Golok Integrated River Basin Development Project (PLSB) here today.
Commenting on the Sungai Golok PLSB, Izani said the 106-kilometre project, being implemented in three phases, was expected to be fully completed by 2028 to help reduce the impact of flooding in the affected areas.
He said bund construction under Phase 1 was 70 per cent complete, while Phase 2 was still at the design stage and Phase 3 had recorded 25 per cent progress.
“Bund construction under Phase 1 is nearing completion, with only several components left to be completed, including pump houses and related infrastructure such as bridges.
“We hope that once all phases are completed, flood risks can be better managed. While it may not be possible to resolve the problem entirely, we hope major floods can be prevented and, if they do occur, their impact will be less severe,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2027, announced that Phase 2 of the Sungai Golok PLSB in Kelantan would be implemented as one of the flood mitigation projects next year.
The project is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen flood mitigation measures in the Golok River basin, an area frequently affected by river overflows during the monsoon season.
Meanwhile, Izani said construction work on Kota Bharu Sentral (KB Sentral) was now underway following the appointment of a contractor for the project.
He said the project was being implemented through a Private Financing Initiative (PFI) model, under which the state government would bear only RM30 million in land acquisition costs, with no construction costs involved.
“We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Federal Government for the RM250 million allocation to Kelantan under Budget 2027 for the construction of KB Sentral,” he said.
--BERNAMA