TAWAU: The government, through the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), has been urged to expedite the implementation of the Phase 1B Flood Mitigation Project at Sungai Tawau this year to address recurring flooding problems, particularly in the Jalan Sin Onn and Jalan Chong Thien Vun areas here.
Sabah DAP Committee Member Philip Yap said many Tawau residents were once again affected by flooding that struck the district on Saturday night, when water levels rose rapidly following continuous heavy rain.
He said the situation was worsened by high tide, causing water to surge up to waist level at Batu 3.5 Jalan Sin Onn and several residential locations along Jalan Chong Thien Vun.
According to Philip, one of the factors contributing to the rapid rise in water levels is the delay in implementing the Phase 1B flood mitigation project at Sungai Tawau.
“Phase 1A has been fully completed at the downstream section of Sungai Tawau, but Phase 1B has been delayed due to cost factors and land compensation issues along the riverbanks.
“The delay in Phase 1B has resulted in a bottleneck at Taman Green, causing river water to overflow into residential areas, especially low-lying zones,” he said.
Philip said Phase 1B should be expedited this year as a measure to address Tawau’s flood problem, which recurs whenever there is prolonged heavy rainfall.
He added that besides Jalan Sin Onn, other areas such as Kampung Baru and Kampung Saddani, located along Sungai Tawau and severely affected by flooding, would also benefit if the flood mitigation project is implemented as soon as possible.
He stressed that flash floods are not a new occurrence but have repeatedly happened during periods of continuous heavy rain, compounded by high tide.
“Each time flooding occurs, we see furniture destroyed, electrical items could not be saved, and vehicles stranded in floodwaters,” he said. Philip urged the government to treat the matter seriously to prevent residents from continuing to suffer whenever floods occur and hoped that those affected would remain strong in facing this ordeal during the festive season.
