Locals were asked at random yesterday about what they think of it. The reactions were mixed.

First to give the thumbs-up to the idea was Danny Lee,  35, a hair stylist by profession.

“I still recall in the past, the flood was not that serious. However, of late, it seems to become more frequent, making it very inconvenient to go to town to shop or do business. It is high time the dredging of Rajang River be carried out to mitigate the problem,” said Lee.

Nelson Ng, 45, a prominent businessman and proprietor of one of the largest fashion houses here, was also in favour of  dredging the river.

“I have spoken to some of my friends who have been engaged in the sand and gravel business for some 20 years and they all strongly suggested dredging to mitigate the flood,” he said.

“I believe dredging the river will help to lessen the flood. I also think efforts should be made to improve our drainage system to complement the dredging for more effective result,” said Ng

Ho Kee Kit, 30, a school teacher welcomed any effort to dredge the river.

“Removing the silt that have settled over the years will improve the flow of water and reduce the frequency of floods, and if the flood still comes, it won’t be so bad,” said Ho.

An undergraduate at a local public university, Augustine Muling, 24, suggested that improving the drainage system should be given priority.

“At times, after a downpour, several places here get flooded due to the clogged drains. It is not always because of the floods in the upper reaches of the Rajang River,” he reasoned.

“A flood makes it really inconvenient to go anywhere especially during office hours. Therefore, improving the drainage system should be given the utmost urgency.”

Chan Ping, 33, a business woman suggested that both dredging and improving the drainage system should be carried out – preferably at the same time.

“While I am all for dredging the river, our drainage system needs to be improved too to effectively mitigate the flood. Doing one without the other won’t be effective. If you dredge the river but the drains are still clogged, rain water would flow too slowly to the river and the town would still get flooded,” said Chan.

Proprietor of a boutique shop, Andy Ng, 40, felt that dredging the river would only yield temporary results.

“According to a friend of mine from overseas who frequented this town, a proper drainage system would be a more effective solution,” he said.

“If you go around town, you would quickly notice some clogged drains. What is crucial now is to improve the drainage system so that water will be able to flow freely,” said Ng.

Concurring with Ng’s opinion, a person who wished to remain anonymous believed that improving the drainage system was of immediate concern.

The flood is caused by the deforestation and also excess water from the interior of the vast Kapit Division, he explained.

“Hence, I believe that improving our drainage system is a more viable option to mitigate the flood here. The local authority should also ensure that housing developers focus on building proper drains for all new housing projects,” he said.

A pastor from a local church, Michael Siew, who is from Perak, believed that a more practical option would be to plant trees along the river banks.

“In the past, we experienced the same problem in Perak due to extensive tin mining operations. But when the activity ceased, the floods also stopped,” he recalled.

“Hence, I think it is important to plant trees along the river banks as they could soak up water and thereby mitigate soil erosion.”

James Sii, a sales manager with Global Pacific-Degree (S) Sdn Bhd, a local education and training provider, suggested that both dredging and improvement of the drainage system should be considered.

“When done together, they should effectively mitigate the floods, I think,” he said.

Sarawak Teachers’ Union president, William Ghani Bina, who is here from Kuching on official business, said he was in favour of a long-term feasibility study on the problem.

“I have no doubts that dredging would mitigate the flood here, but no one can really tell to what extent. Planting of trees along the river banks can also be considered but what is more practical is to conduct a long-term study in order to come up with the best practical option,” he said.

On Tuesday, the State Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) director, Wong Siu Heng, announced that a flood mitigation proposal for Sibu would soon be posted on its website: www.did.sarawak.gov.my.

He said the purpose was to get it reviewed by experts worldwide.

“If you have any questions or doubts regarding the proposal, you are welcome to post your questions and we will try to answer them,” Wong was quoted as having said.

“We also maintain that dredging of the river is not a holistic solution to the problem.”

Wong’s remarks sparked off criticisms from the local branch of Democratic Action Party (DAP).

During a press conference at its office here on Wednesday, its publicity chief, David Wong, was quoted as having said: “Dredging the riverbed will reduce the occurrence of floods here. Water in the river always overflows because the riverbed is shallow after years of silting.”

On Wednesday, Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing was reported to be frustrated by the refusal of the DID director to accept river dredging as a way to mitigate the floods here.

“The siltation has become so serious that it has badly affected the river transport business. If this situation continues to deteriorate, the stretch of the river from Jalan Lanang area to Kapit would burst its banks frequently, flooding the surrounding areas. Why does he look at the RM400 million levee-building project all the time?” Tiong reportedly asked.

Tiong concluded that at the moment there is no need to build levees here because unlike Holland, Sibu is not below sea level.