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November to February because of the northeast monsoon season .
Undertaking a flood mitigation project via a deepening of the Kelantan River using dredges and other suitable equipment will ensure the smooth and efficient water flow in Kelantan River . The removal of sediments will prevent the spread of contaminants to other areas of the water body .
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National Academy of Sciences of the US , discovered dozens of dams in Europe and the US were being removed every year , with many considered dangerous and uneconomical .
Unsustainable nature of projects
The study also bemoaned that these projects ’ unsustainable nature has not been recognised in the developing world , as new dams are now being planned for rivers in Africa and Asia .
Here comes the irony – as the West is giving up on building new hydroelectric dams and are dismantling them , here in Malaysia , there are the Papar dam project in Sabah and the Nenggiri dam in Gua Musang , Kelantan , which will be under construction soon .
In the case of the proposed Nenggiri dam project , more than 3,000 Orang Asli from 17 districts and hundreds of villages in Kelantan objected to the dam ’ s construction by the Kelantan government , saying it would destroy 5,384 hectares of customary land and Orang Asli territory .
As for the Papar dam , the Sabah government is mulling the possibility of moving the Papar Dam back to its original location
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in Penampang because the dam could only provide water for up to 60 years , whereas if it is moved to Penampang , it would be 85 years .
This drew a response from Parti Sosialis Malaysia ( PSM ), calling for the Sabah government to scrap the project , as it is not feasible and a colossal waste of money .
Speaking to Focus Malaysia , PSM ’ s central committee member Sharan Raj said while his party support infrastructure projects that would help the public at large , the dam project would not help anyone .
He urged the State government to invest in reducing its non-revenue water ( NRW ) rate and improve its electricity transmission and distribution system instead .
It would be good if the train of thoughts for building a dam is directed first and foremost to a flood mitigation objective and then spinning it off to power generation and agriculture objectives .
How can this be done ?
Take the case of Kelantan . Every year , heavy rainfall coupled with high tides threaten the return of floods . Due to the lowland nature of Kelantan , the Kelantan River regularly overspills its banks from
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River banks should be raised
Some parts of the river which meander and prevent a smooth and efficient flow should be straightened . The small islands and sandbanks which dotted the river should be removed .
Under this flood mitigation project , the river banks would be raised to a level where water during the monsoon or flood season would be contained and not overflow its banks . Or better still , a dam , one each on both sides of the river , can be built for this purpose .
Traditional dams are often used for a dual purpose of flood control and to generate hydroelectric power . This is done with its concomitant displacement of people and inundating extensive forest lands and farmlands that have to be flooded , not to mention the negative impacts on the environment . However , these two dams would be created after the deepening of the Kelantan River .
The improvements to the Kelantan River via this flood mitigation project will create ‘ new lands ’ on both sides of the river bank . These lands would be suitable for installing a state-of-the-art solar farm ( producing more than 300 MW ) on one side of the riverbank and constructing a four-lane highway on the other side of the riverbank .
Hence , it ’ s new lands we are talking about , so there is no displacement of Orang Asli or the environmental impact on flora and fauna . On top of this , there would still be power generation – this time renewable energy through the solar farm project .
The flood mitigation project alone will create thousands of employment opportunities . The river flows past seven important towns , from south to north – Kuala Krai , Tanah Merah , Machang , Pasir Mas , Tumpat , the State capital Kota Bharu , and Pengkalan Chepa , which lies near the mouth of the river .
As mentioned earlier , the river banks will be raised to a level which will prevent flood by the construction of two dams , one between the river and the solar farm on one side of the riverbank , and between the river and the proposed highway on the other side of the river bank .
Most importantly , with the flood mitigation project , the Kelantan water quality will be much improved , which would benefit the river fishermen and padi farmers under the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority ( KADA ). They are dependent on irrigation canals .
Presently , these canals are silted up and problematic for maintenance due to the Kelantan River ’ s muddy waters .
With good water flow , the Kelantan River Delta also provides a natural environment for the aquaculture industry to thrive . With some improvements to the water depth and improved brackish water flow system , many world-class aquaculture farms can be created , giving employment opportunities to the local people , especially to the many unemployed Kelantan graduates . — @ green
Jamari Mohtar is Director of Media & Communications at EMIR Research , an independent think-tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based upon rigorous research .
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Traditional dams are often used for a dual purpose of flood control and to generate hydroelectric power . This is done with its concomitant displacement of people and inundating extensive forest lands and farmlands that have to be flooded , not to mention the negative impacts on the environment .” |