Solution to stop flooding for good

A LONG-TERM solution involving the widening of the drain in Jalan Arratoon is being planned to overcome floods near Lebuhraya Pykett, Jalan Westlands, Jalan Khaw Sim Bhee and Jalan Anson in Penang. State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said that these areas were frequently affected by floods. He said the main cause was the bottleneck when the water flowed down to Jalan Arratoon leading to the sea. “The drain there is only 2.13m wide,” said Chow at a press conference at Lebuhraya Pykett yesterday. As a long-term solution, Chow said that the council was looking into getting that drain widened in the near future. Small and narrow: Chow (right) and some residents checking the drains along Lebuhaya Pykett “We are working on an agreement with the new land owner to provide some space for the council so they can widen the drain,” said Chow. He said that the council was working on two short-term projects to mitigate flooding. “The first one is upgrading the drains along Jalan Burmah from the junction of Jalan Arratoon to SRJK (C) Union. “The project started on Friday and is expected to be completed by the end of next month,” said Chow. He said the second project was to repair the box culverts along Jalan Burmah from Lebuhraya Pykett until the junction of Jalan Arratoon. He added that the cost of the projects was RM173,549 and RM90,044 respectively. “Although we are working on the short-term solutions, we are considering a long-term solution to be completed in three years,” he said. - The Star