SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government has promised a chunk of allocation for Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) in the state's next year budget as part of a plan to tackle flash floods, including those caused by high-tide phenomenon.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said the allocation was meant for DID to repair and upgrade bunds at Selangor coastal areas, which stretches for about 70-kilometres, and to maintain all water retention ponds in the state.
"It is a priority for the state government to tackle flash flood problem, preventing its recurrence in the future.
"This commitment will be reflected in the state's budget for next year, which will see a higher allocation given to DID.
"DID will be among the agencies which will be given more focus on in the budget, which will be tabled in two weeks time, and I do not see any reason for anyone to dispute this," he told reporters when met at Dataran Muzium, here, yesterday.
Azmin was visiting a public exhibition by a political cartoonist there.
The MB, however, refrained from specifying the allocation's figure. He only said that it would be more than what DID received this year.
In the state's budget for 2016, Selangor DID was allocated RM80 million to maintain water retention ponds.
Azmin was also asked for his response to Kuala Selangor MP Datuk Seri Irmohizam Ibrahim's allegation, that the repair works on bunds in Selangor had yet to be conducted despite Selangor government having approved RM5 million for the works.
The MB denied the allegation, saying that the works have already been completed ahead of the high-tide phenomenon.