Taiping: Six flood mitigation projects in the Larut Matang and Selama (LMS) district are on track to be completed by the end of this month. These initiatives aim to address the recurrent flooding issues in the region.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr. Asnor Muizan Ishak, director of the Perak Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), disclosed that the RM1.2 million projects are funded by a special federal government allocation. The efforts include deepening retention ponds and rivers, alongside constructing flood embankments in several high-risk areas to mitigate flooding risks.

The state government contributed an additional RM400,000, bringing the total funds to RM1.6 million. This amount will support post-flood work following the recent incident on October 23. Dr. Asnor mentioned, "Overall, the field work is now reaching its final stage, and it is a short-term step we are taking to reduce flood risks as recently experienced."

Dr. Asnor provided these details during the DID LMS District Flood Emergency Work Site Visit Session, attended by Neow Choo Seong, Special Officer to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. He also urged residents to maintain the embankment structures and retention ponds to ensure their effectiveness and prevent damage from human activities.

Neow emphasized the importance of assessing the DID's project implementation progress during his visit. He highlighted the necessity for additional studies and applications for medium- and long-term projects to establish a comprehensive solution. "We don't want these temporary measures to be in vain. What's important is the continuity of follow-up projects so that the entire river drainage system can be fully restored and the risk of flooding can be reduced gradually," he stated.

On October 24, Neow noted, during his visit to a temporary relief center, that RM1.2 million was allocated following Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah's visit to Taiping on October 3.