GEORGE TOWN, May 18 – State local government, traffic management and flood mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow today announced a RM1.85mil water retention pond project to be built on an open space beside Hilir Sungai Pinang, Penang, to overcome flooding in the area.
The work on the project on a 0.8ha plot had been started on March 15 and is expected to be completed in March next year. He said this project is is funded by the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), would also include recreational facilities such as a jogging track and children’s playground.
“The roads along Hilir Sungai Pinang and Solok Sungai Pinang are part of the catchment area for Sungai Pinang. During the heavy rain and high tide, it may caused the low-lying spots in Hilir Sungai Pinang, Solok Sungai Pinang and nearby areas hit by flash floods,” Chow said.
“The three box culvert drains, four pump houses and the retention pond which will have a capacity of 5,187 cubic metres to be constructed. It will be the main components in this project. The retention pond will be able to store water when its rains before channelling it to Sungai Pinang,” he said.
He also said that this project would benefit more than 1,000 families living in the area, namely residents of the Serina Bay condominium and Taman Serina low-cost flats. Also present were Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, Sungai Pinang assemblyman Lim Siew Khim and MBPP senior engineer Cheah Chin Kooi.
Chow said the state’s project monitoring committee headed by Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng would monitor the progress of the project. On a related matter, he announced that the state government would call for an open tender on May 25 for seven flood mitigation projects worth RM136mil. The tender document will be available for download from May 29 to June 13. The tender will close on June 19 and work is expected to start in October.
“The bidder who wish to tender this flood mitigation project, can download the form from online which started from May 29 to June 13. The deadline for the submission of documents on June 19. The work is expected to start in October this year. The tender of seven out of nine flood mitigation projects was announced by the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng when he tabling the 2017 Budget at the State Legislative Assembly on November 2016,” he said.
“The seven planned project namely, Seberang Perai Utara, SPU (1); Seberang Perai Tengah, SPT (4); and Daerah Barat Daya (2), worth RM136mil. The bidder who want tender this project must be self registered with the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB),” he added. For details, login to http://ep.penang.gov.my/. — PN
