Posted on April 6, 2017
By Peter Sibon, Borneo Post
A call has been made upon the relevant authorities to expedite dredging works on the rivermouth of Sungai Sarawak to ease navigation for the communities there.
Demak assemblyman Dr Hazland Abang Hipni also believes that flash flood incidents would be minimised once the river is deepened.
“It is hoped that the relevant authorities would expedite the dredging works to minimise flash floods occurring almost on a weekly basis, especially at Kampung Senari and also the marine industrial sites along the river,” Dr Hazland told The Borneo Post yesterday.
According to him, the shallowness of the river also poses problems for ships to reach and sail from Senari Port.
“It also causes difficulties to local residents using boats between Kampung Goebilt, Kampung Tiang Api, Kampung Beradek and Kampung Semilang,” he said, adding that other affected villages are Kampung Muara Tebas, Kampung Senari, Kampung Sejingkat, and Kampung Sungai Pinang.
Dr Hazland was commenting on a recent news report that quoted Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing – also the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation – that a sum of RM360 million had been made available for dredging works on a section of Sungai Sarawak, covering a distance of 23.4km from Muara Tebas up to Pending.
Masing had acknowledged the urgency to dredge Sungai Sarawak from the rivermouth at Muara Tebas to the Kuching Port at Pending.
“The dredging of Sarawak River is a necessity; otherwise Kuching Port will be underutilised. The fund of over RM360 million is in. I hope we could start this year,” Masing told The Borneo Post recently.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai revealed last year that the federal government had allocated RM360 million for the dredging works over a period of four years.
According to Liow, a six-month study on the project had been ongoing and the actual implementation was supposed to commence in October last year.
Liow added that the six-month study comprised four stages, including hydraulics and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies.
He said the project was aimed at allowing larger vessels to dock at Senari Terminal and upon the completion of works, the depth of the river would be 9m – during high tides, it could reach 12m. At the moment the depth is at 7.5m maximum.
Source: Borneo Post
