RM17 million allocated to address beach erosion in Kelantan

The federal government has allocated RM17 million to implement a project to address coastal erosion involving Pantai Kundur and Pantai Mek here, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

He said the tendering process for the three-kilometre project will be opened next month and work would begin as early as February next year.

"We conducted a study when the beach erosion started to damage houses in the areas since 2010 and to minimise erosion we carried out an emergency project.

"To prevent further erosion and as a long-term solution we will implement this beach erosion project which is expected take between 12 and 18 months to complete," he told reporters after looking at the beach situation in Pantai Cahaya Bulan with Kelantan Drainage Department (DID) director Kamal Mustapha here Wednesday.

Wan Junaidi said the scope of the project involved land reclamation as well as the construction of concrete barriers.

On flood preparations, Wan Junaidi said the Flood Forecasting and Warning Programme (PRAB) is expected to be ready for use by the end of this year.

He said the system which had been installed in the upstream areas of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang at a cost of RM15 million could alert rescue teams at least two days ahead.

Meanwhile, in a statement released to the media, the ministry said the National Coastal Erosion Study (NCES) implemented through DID in 2015 to assess and examine overall coastal erosion was ready.

According to the study it was found that soil erosion was occurring at 15.3 per cent of the 8,840 km of the country's coastline and the worst hit areas were in Kelantan.

"Kelantan has a coastline of 179.5 km and 19.8 km (11 per cent) of the beach areas have worn away. The worst hit are Pantai Pulau Kundur and Pantai Mek Mas which saw erosion of between 10 and 18 metres occurring each year," the statement said. -- Bernama