Floods: Johor JKR told to carry out maintenance of ditches, drains

JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor government has instructed the state Public Works Department (JKR) to carry out maintenance work on all ditches and drains in preparation for possible flooding due to the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) season.

State Works, Transport, and Infrastructure Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the instruction was issued in line with the recent meeting on flood preparation that was chaired by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

“JKR has ensured the maintenance of all drains and ditches under its supervision, as well rivers and drains under the supervision of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage and local authorities.

“However, we are worried that heavy rain may cause these drains or ditches to overflow. As such, we ask the public to channel information to JKR so that immediate action can be taken,” he said when asked to comment on the state’s preparations for floods during the monsoon season.

He said this after visiting the transfer site of three temples following the construction of the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Tracking project (PLBEGJB) here today.

He also urged the public to relay information either through village heads or the Johor JKR Facebook page if any road is inundated or if there are any landslides.

On roads damaged by floods in March, he said repair works are being carried out in stages, with some already completed, adding that most of the damaged roads were federal roads that connected the districts, especially in Segamat.

“The state government has received part of the RM160 million federal government allocation for the maintenance of roads damaged by floods in March. The rest (of the allocation) may be given in stages,” he said.

The Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) recently reported that heavy rain is forecast to hit Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and western Sarawak during the early phase of the Northeast Monsoon from this month until January 2024.

Meanwhile, he said the three temples, namely the Sri Maha Kaliamman in Taman Impian Emas, Arulmigu Sri Sivalingeshwarar in Jalan Bujur and Arulmigu Sri Muniswaran in Jalan Tunku Abdul Razak would be transferred to a site in EkoFlora here.

“These are the last three temples to be moved for the PLBEGJB project at the site that will be provided. So, we hope that once this is done, the project can run smoothly,” he said. - Bernama