Hameed Prioritises Resolving Flash Flood Issues in Ayer Limau

ALOR GAJAH: Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Ayer Limau state seat, Datuk Hameed Mytheen Kunju Basheer, has pledged to make resolving flash flood issues a priority if given the mandate by voters.

The former State Public Works, Infrastructure, Public Amenities and Transport Committee Chairman said that during his nearly five years as an elected representative, he had resolved approximately 80 per cent of the flooding problems in the Ayer Limau constituency.

He said various approaches and projects to upgrade drainage systems had been implemented in stages to address the long-standing problems affecting residents.

According to him, flooding was among the major issues he prioritised immediately after being elected as the constituency’s representative in 2021.

“If we look back, the main issue in Ayer Limau was flooding. Just a month after I became the elected representative in 2021, a major flood affected more than 600 houses.

“So, we adopted a gradual approach to resolving the problem, and I can say that nearly 80 per cent of the flooding issues in Ayer Limau have been resolved.

“If Ayer Limau residents give me the mandate for a second term on November 14, I guarantee that the remaining 20 per cent of the flooding problems in this area will be resolved,” he said when met during the Melaka State Election campaign in Kampung Ayer Limau here yesterday.

Hameed said that over the past four years, he had successfully addressed flooding issues through various projects and repair works involving allocations of between RM6 million and RM7 million.

He added that among the measures implemented were upgrades to culverts at several locations identified as causing water flow obstructions that led to flooding in village areas.

He said that of approximately 14 culverts identified in certain areas, 11 had been upgraded to larger sizes, while several others were still under construction.

“We found that when large volumes of water flow through, they become obstructed at smaller culverts. That is why we adopted the approach of widening these water passages.

“If this method still does not fully resolve the problem, we will need to consider other options, including land acquisition to enable the widening of drainage channels,” he said.

Hameed said the government was also studying the possibility of constructing retention ponds to accommodate increasing water volumes during heavy rainfall.

UTUSAN MALAYSIA