Final push to end Kg Lumapas flood woes

|     Siti Hajar     |

Another flood mitigation project is in the works at Kg Lumapas to complement another two projects that were recently completed.

In an interview with local media at Kg Lumapas ‘B’, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, the Minister of Development, explained that the move is to address the plight of residents in Kg Lumapas who have, over the years, endured serious flooding brought on by heavy downpours.

Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi, the Minister of Development and other senior officials visiting one of the sites in Kg Lumapas. – PHOTOS: SITI HAJAR

“We are sympathetic to the plight of villagers who have experienced flooding every year and are looking into ways to overcome this problem,” he explained during the visit to the site yesterday.

Describing the next endeavour as the final flood mitigation project for Lumapas, he said, “Our people have inspected the area and are confident that we can overcome the flooding problems with this project, which will take place ‘very soon’.”

However, the minister highlighted that a 100 per cent guarantee cannot be promised in controlling the flood as such instances are heavily dependent on weather patterns and climate change.

Another anticipated project to take place in the area, according to a press statement issued by the Public Works Department, is a housing project planned for Kg Lumapas. The minister’s visit, it was stated, also included efforts to survey locations for the building of new homes.

The recently completed projects, meanwhile, include drainage improvement and phase one of the drainage improvement scheme in September last year and January this year to reduce flooding in the vicinity.

The scope of work included the construction of drains varying in sizes from two metres to 14 metres wide, including box culverts at several locations.

“Besides providing adequate capacity for the designed flood flow, the construction of these channels will strengthen the riverbanks on both sides of the channel, thus preventing future scouring of soil which will affect housing along the river corridor,” said the PWD.

Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi, the Minister of Development inspecting one of the affected sites

At another location, the minister visited the project for a flyover along the Jalan Pengiran Babu Raja and Jalan Tutong within the vicinity of the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

Scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, the flyover began construction in June 2012 at a cost of $20 million under the Ninth National Development Plan that was brought forward to the 10th National Development Plan under the Department of Roads at the PWD.

The infrastructure will allow traffic from Jalan Pengiran Babu Raja to turn right out to Jalan Tutong and vice versa without the interruption to the main traffic flow along Jalan Tutong, stated the PWD.

According to the minister, the project will aid in easing traffic congestion and will not be the last such project for the year.

“We have a few other projects, about two of three interchanges that are currently being looked into,” he shared.

For Kg Ayer, it was said, the project to build a bridge across Sungai Kebun is expected to begin this year along with the Sungai Temburong bridge to be constructed with an allocation that has already been awarded to the ministry.