He said the city council (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 that water would flow better.

The older pipes were said to have been clogged by rubbish resulting in the road being flooded after heavy rain last week.

He said the idea for the change was proposed by a city engineer and an expert from the Institute of Engineers.

“There was nothing wrong with the original design but rubbish had affected the system’s workings. MBPP will list this matter in the defect liability to the contractor,” he told reporters today.

The defect liability period of the highway is two years from last Dec 24.

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

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

On Tuesday, heavy rains and strong winds hit several areas on the island, uprooting trees and ripping off roofs.

The meteorological department in Penang said small-scale thunderstorms could occur this week. MBPP had taken steps to carry out maintenance work on trees to prevent them from falling during the inter-monsoon season.