Flood threat from Singapore alleged

JOHOR BARU - A Johor university academic has alleged Singapore's reclamation works on its islands in the north-east could turn settlements along several rivers in Johor into flood-prone areas.

Prof Dr Ahmad Khairi Abdul Wahab, a coastal engineer, said settlements along Sungai Santi, Sungai Belungkor, Sungai Johor, Sungai Kim Kim and Sungai Leban could come under threat when Singapore's Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin double their size and halve the capacity of the Johor Straits.

In the long run, stronger current and tidal waves due to reduced flow areas would speed up the sedimentation and block river discharges at the river mouths, causing water flow to retreat inland.

'The rivers could burst their banks when the flow retreats,' said Dr Ahmad Khairi, who heads the hydraulic and hydrology department at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia here.

He added that flood prevention facilities now in place may not be able to function properly when the hydrodynamic forces at work - such as current velocity, tides, river discharges and weather conditions - change with the landscape.

He said that with the increase in current and tidal velocities, bad weather would create forceful waves to push the river outflow backwards, thus increasing the tendency of floods.

The situation would worsen during the rainy season when river flows increase in volume and compete with 'rough' seawater to enter the narrower Johor Straits.

'We have good reason to be concerned,' he added. --The Star/Asia News Network