ECRL project owner admits to causing some floods, but stresses not all
The owner of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project today admitted that some of the flooding happening along the project is caused by the rail track construction.
“As the project owner of ECRL, the Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) respects the view that flooding was caused by the ECRL construction.
“As such the MRL will and have always taken accountability for...
The owner of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project today admitted that some of the flooding happening along the project is caused by the rail track construction.
“As the project owner of ECRL, the Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) respects the view that flooding was caused by the ECRL construction.
“As such the MRL will and have always taken accountability for any damages which had happened if it is clear that it was caused by the ECRL project,” MRL said in a statement.
“However, the MRL would like to stress that not all flooding along the ECRL alignment was caused by the development,” it added.
This comes after Sinar Harian reported residents of Kampung Banggol Pa’ Esah in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, blamed the ECRL for flooding in their area.
They said the flood waters had risen fast and receded much slower since the ECRL construction began.
On Wednesday, the daily reported flood waters reached about one meter deep, forcing some 10 households to evacuate.
‘We help locals deal with floods’
The MRL said it had from the start identified flood-prone areas along the alignment and worked with the local government to assist affected locals.
This includes providing flood evacuation transportation and food supply to flood evacuation, as well as machinery and human resources to assist with cleaning and post-flood maintenance, it said.
The MRL added that the ECRL design had also taken into consideration the history of natural disasters along the rail alignment and worked with hydrology, hydraulic, engineering and other technical experts to mitigate the circumstances, particularly in flood-prone areas in Kelantan and Terengganu.
The design also took into consideration rain patterns over 100 years and changes to these patterns due to climate change, it said.
“Based on this, water passages were designed specifically to ensure floodwaters do not spill over both in the upstream and downstream areas. These were designed in consultation and approval of the Irrigation and Drainage Department,” the MRL said.
Drainage is also constantly monitored to ensure they are not blocked by sedimentation or refuse building material, while suitable plants were planted at the slopes to avoid land slippage, it said.
East coast rail alignment flood-proof
The MRL added that the east coast alignment of the rail project is also safe because it is built higher than the flood levels.
“MRL and the project’s main contractor - the China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd - remain committed and accountable to ensure no natural disasters like floods at the project site, prioritising public safety and the completion of the ECRL within the stipulated timeframe, to benefit all Malaysians,” it said.
Earlier this week, Transport Minister Anthony Loke urged the MRL to come up with a flood mitigation plan, considering the flood risks in the east coast states.
“If any of the flood areas are caused by the ECRL, I hope the MRL can immediately take flood mitigation measures so it can be solved and would not burden the locals living around the project,” he said.
