S'gor govt allocates RM16.1m for flood mitigation projects next year

The Selangor government will allocate RM16.1 million in its budget next year to the state’s Irrigation and Drainage Department for the implementation of flood mitigation projects.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari the distribution of the allocation for 2023 was done according to certain hotspot river basins in order to ensure the effectiveness of the management of flood mitigation efforts.

Several main river basins involved include Sungai Klang, Sungai Langat and also Sungai Selangor, he said.

“These flood mitigation projects must be implemented immediately, especially in the Sungai Klang and Sungai Langat basins.

“These flood mitigation projects will also be implemented in line with projects under the federal budget in order to have a more holistic efficacy in handling the flood issue in Selangor,” Amirudin said.

He said this while he was tabling the Selangor state’s budget for 2023 in the State Legislative Assembly today.

Aside from that, he said the state government has agreed to develop 21 lakes and former mines as sources of water supply in order to ensure Selangor’s water supply remains more than sufficient.

“Luas has developed these lakes for water supply through three phases, which consist of auditing the lakes in the Sungai Selangor, Sungai Klang and Sungai Langat basins, building and widening the lakes and connecting them to the rivers,” Amirudin said.

There are also efforts to treat the water at Sungai Gong to improve its water quality, he added.

Meanwhile, the Selangor government also expanded the eligibility for its free water programme called Darul Ehsan Water Scheme back in October 2022.

The state had raised the eligible household income from RM4,000 and below a month to include households earning RM5,000 and below a month.

Amirudin said the state would continue with this programme next year, with an allocation of RM40 million a year.

“The change of the eligibility takes into account the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and also the current situation in the country, which is facing slow economic growth and rising inflation,” he said.

Amirudin’s full budget presentation, which lasted almost three hours, can be found below:

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