Concern over JKR's culvert action

Penampang: The installation of culverts by JKR instead of bridges across rivulets for the construction of the four-lane Penampang-Papar highway is viewed with concern by residents here following recent massive prolonged flooding.Several residents from Kg Limbanak and Kituau led by Paul Bongkos met with District Officer Luvita Koisun to air their grievances.

They cited a bridge built across Limbanak rivulet when the dual lane road was first built. But when it was upgraded to a highway the bridge was replaced with a box culvert measuring 4200 mm by 3000 mm designed by JKR consultants and upgraded to a double culvert after strong protest by residents.

An officer from the Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS) informed that, initially, JPS required bridges for all the rivers.

However, the consultants submitted an appeal complete with calculations to show that the culverts are more than sufficient to cater for the flow based on the area of each catchments of the river.

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To this Bongkos remarked that he may be just a layman and the consultants can calculate the flow of flood water but how did they calculate the amount of debris from the hills that keep blocking the culverts, he asked.

Meanwhile a resident of Kg Hubah said the culvert now being installed at a rivulet in his village is very much smaller than the river and the bottom of the river is even filled to raise the culvert.

"We are expecting the rivers to be deepened to overcome floods but here it is the other way round. He told Koisun that he cannot celebrate Kaamatan this May because he will be too busy looking for bamboos to make a raft since the rain is now falling heavily every day and the small culvert is making the flood worse.

Meanwhile Public Works Department (JKR) did not send any representative to the meeting but instead sent officers from a road maintenance concessionaire company who were not even relevant to the issue.

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The residents from Limbanak, Kituau, Penapah, Kondis, Sugud and Hubah will jointly submit a memorandum to the District Officer who promised to hold a proper joint meeting with JKR and JPS.

The project cost of the new highway is believed to be RM198 million prompting the residents to ask why they cannot afford to build short bridges.

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