GEORGE TOWN: Some 2,000 residents of Taman Iping in Batu Maung here are set to benefit following the completion of two pump houses in the vicinity.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said, the two pump houses, with a capacity of six and seven cubic metres per second respectively, were designed to have 20 average recurrence interval (ARI) flood protection levels, at a cost of RM16.5 million.
"Our main objective is to reduce the flood risk which covers the residential, commercial and industrial areas over 3.2 square kilometres.
The project falls under the Sungai Nipah flood mitigation project, one of the eight major projects by the Penang government to solve flood issues in the state.
Chow said out of the eight projects, four had been completed, namely the Parit 4, Parit 5, Mak Mandin and Taman Iping flood mitigation projects.
"All the projects are expected to cost RM150 million.
"As for the remaining four projects, they are in good progress as of now. This includes the Bayan Baru flood mitigation project, which is expected to be completed soon.
"Two other projects, the Alma reservoir and Sungai Tiram flood mitigation project, are being constructed, and the final one, which is the Permatang Rawa project, is now in the redesigning phase," he added, noting that there were many other flood mitigation projects under the jurisdiction of both, the Federal and state governments, which were in various stages of completion.
Meanwhile, Chow said the state government and the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) were committed to expediting the said projects to ensure the people no longer have to put up with flood issues in the state.
"By 2030, we hope that all the 63 flood hotspots identified will be reduced by 80 per cent through the implementation of the various flood mitigation projects," he said.