Bengoh Dam to be completed on time

KUCHING: The RM310 million Bengoh Dam project is set to be fully completed on schedule, despite a slight initial delay.
Construction work on the Bengoh Dam began in August 2007 and is scheduled for completion on Dec 6, 2010.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin said construction work was now well on track.

“I’m quite confident that this project will be completed within schedule despite a slight delay because they are using the latest technology, which has been popularly used around the world,” he told reporters during a site inspection yesterday.

Chin said the construction involved roller compacted concrete (RCC) technology, which is much faster and stronger than conventional methods.

“The RCC technology also ensures a good and lasting dam, which has been proven in many developed countries,” he added.

He said the Bengoh Dam is the second project in Malaysia to be constructed using RCC technology after the Kinta Dam in Perak, which was completed three years ago.

The slight delay, of 0.55 per cent behind schedule, was due to multiple factors including heavy rain at the end of last year and early this year.

Currently the physical development of the project is about 34.56 per cent completed.

The production of raw water from the Bengoh Dam is anticipated to meet the increasing demand of the city and greater Kuching and Samarahan area until 2030.

Once completed, the dam would store about 144.1 million cubic metres of water, hence increasing the daily raw water production at the Batu Kitang treatment plant from 786 to 2047 mega litres per day (MLD).

Presently the reservoir at Batu Kitang, which provides most of the domestic and industrial water supply in Kuching, only has a capacity of 786 MLD while the current demand for water in Kuching alone is 635 MLD.

Chin said the main concern at the moment was to complete the resettlement programme involving 394 families affected by the project.

The affected villages — Tebak Sait, Bojong Pain, Rejoi and Semban — will be relocated to a site in Kampung Semadang.

The building of roads that link Kampung Semadang and the resettlement area began early this month.

Chin said he would talk to Syarikat Perumahan Natio-nal Berhad (SPNB) to speed up the allocations and build the houses for the affected villagers as fast as possible.

“We are expecting them to move to the resettlement area in June next year,” he said.

Naim Holdings Berhad is the main contractor for both the Bengoh Dam and the connecting road to the resettlement area.

Chin said the state government was also seriously looking at redesigning the dam into a three mega watt mini-hydro, which will be connected to the main grid.

“This will be done in the later stage depending on the design and performance of the dam,” he added.

Among those accompanying Chin were Mambong Member of Parliament Datuk Dr James Dawos, Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil and Naim Holdings Berhad deputy managing director Dr Sharifuddin Wahab.

(Taken from Borneo Post)