GEORGE TOWN – The perennial floods in the Jelutong enclave can only be resolved if the federal government completes the Sg Pinang flood mitigation project, which has been plagued by issues for the past 22 years with no end in sight.
George Town has done its best, but the final push must come from the federal administration, where it must have the will to complete the longstanding mitigation project, or floods will remain a nuisance in the area, said state exco member Jagdeep Singh Deo.
According to the Datuk Keramat assemblyman, the floods have generally reached up to chest level, miring the township in water for up to two days before they subside.
“Now it is mostly flash floods, reaching only to ankle levels, but the area is still flooded. It is still not good. The only way we can eradicate it is when the federal side completes the mitigation project,” Jagdeep told a press conference today.
Previously, the projects were besieged with squatters and land acquisition issues, which Jagdeep said that the state has resolved by relocating 232 families.
“We also have to consider using new technology to ensure that the project is effective against rising waters due to climate change,” Jagdeep said.
He added that mitigation projects are crucial in Penang, seeing as climate change has led to rising sea waters and the fact that rough weather is becoming common now.
With heavier rainfall, the state needs to be ready to deal with this climate crisis, which Jagdeep described as “a formidable task”.
“It is more serious than the pandemic, which is now evolving into an endemic.”
The mitigation project costs RM650 million, while Penang has spent RM6.45 million of state money to help reduce the impact of the flash floods.
The funds have been used to widen the drainage, and the state has roped in the assistance of local authorities to ensure that the riverbanks remain clean.
Jagdeep also urged Putrajaya to fulfil its promises to construct PR1MA affordable housing for those needing it in Penang.
The state has committed up to 220,000 of such units, but the federal government should do more since affordable housing is in demand now, said Jagdeep.
Earlier, Jagdeep led his mother Datin Seri Gurmit Kaur to continue the yearly tradition his father the late Karpal Singh had committed to.
Over the years before his untimely passing in 2014, the vociferous DAP chairman would celebrate his birthday at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Infirm as a tribute to senior citizens.
Jagdeep and Gurmit both hosted a luncheon for some 50 elderly folks at the home. Among the guests was veteran Roman Catholic priest Robin Andrews.
“I hope my father’s values and strong willpower are present among the caregivers and society in helping out our senior citizens, especially with this pandemic around,” said Jagdeep. – The Vibes, November 14, 2021
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