State executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo said the works would be completed in “one to two years”.
He said the Drainage and Irrigation Department estimated the entire project to cost RM600 million.
The work scope includes deepening and widening the river, installation of tidal gates to prevent backflow of water from the sea, and improving overall water quality.
Jagdeep said although the previous federal government had similarly announced RM150 million to kick-start the project in December last year, it never took off.
He said the former federal government had given the job to a construction company through direct negotiation which was against Pakatan Harapan’s policy.
Jagdeep said this was revealed to him on Sunday by Lim who assured that the project would now be awarded via open tender.
“I have no problem with awarding the project via open tender, as long as the project is revived.
“All I ask is to hasten the project. We have been waiting for the past 20 years for this project to save us all,” Jagdeep said at a press conference today.
The three-phase flood mitigation project began in 1990 but stalled in 1999 due to lack of allocations from the federal government.
The state government had often said the last phase of the project – a portion from Dato Keramat in the inland towards the river mouth in the east coast – ought to be completed to prevent flash floods.
Jagdeep said the project would be divided into two phases, the first being the widening and deepening of the river and the installation of a barrage at the river mouth. The second phase is to improve water quality in the river.
He said priority would be given to the first phase with the second phase to be carried out later.
“The most important part of the first phase is the installation of barrages. Flash floods often occur during high tide season, when the waters are pushed inland.
“Barrages will solve that. This has been a proven method in many other islands before,” he said.
Jagdeep added that the state government had implemented 35 flood mitigation projects using its own funds in the flood-prone Dato Keramat constituency while waiting for federal funds which never came or trickled in over the years.
The state’s projects included removing excess silt from riverbeds and clearing rubbish from the rivers.