GEORGE TOWN: Upgrading works to prevent stagnant water on the Bukit Kukus Elevated Highway will take about a month, according to Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang.

He said MBPP had added 10 water outlets in both directions as well as changed the existing four-inch pipe system to six-inch pipes to ensure proper flow of water despite being contaminated with garbage which had been the cause of clogged pipes before.

He said the idea was proposed by a design engineer from MBPP and an expert from the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM), adding that the work is currently being carried out by a contractor.

“There is nothing wrong with the original design but if it is affected by rubbish, this can happen. MBPP will list this matter in the defect liability to the contractor,” he told reporters on Friday (Feb 11).

He added that the defect liability period (DLP) of the highway project had started on Dec 24 last year and will end on Dec 24, 2023.

Phase 1 of the Bukit Kukus project worth RM378.2mil took six years to complete and is one of the largest allocations funded by MBPP so far.

Meanwhile, the MBPP also took initial preparatory measures to face the unusual weather phenomenon by doubling the work of cleaning drains, ditches and surrounding areas to prevent them from clogging and causing water to overflow.

On Tuesday (Feb 8), heavy rains and strong winds hit several areas on the island in Penang uprooting trees and ripping off roofs.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) Penang informed that the strong winds that occurred in the state on Tuesday were caused by cumulonimbus clouds that brought with it small-scale thunderstorms and could occur in the afternoon this week. It will monitor and update weather warnings from time to time.

Apart from that, MBPP also took proactive steps in carrying out maintenance work on trees by the roadside to prevent them from falling during the unusual weather season.- Bernama