Although the 1.2 million-litre capacity stormwater tank is complete, the pump to connect drains to the tank is not yet operational.

Penang infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari (PH-Tanjung Bungah) said the sump pump was only being designed now and will be completed by the first quarter of next year.

He said the stormwater tank was built as part of the airport’s multi-storey car park and was completed in September after three years of work.

Zairil said Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), the airport operator, was drawing up a plan for the flow of the rainwater from the drain to the sump pump and finally to the stormwater tank.

He was responding to a question from Yusni Mat Piah (PAS-Penaga).

Contacted for clarification, Zairil said the stormwater tank was not completely useless, as MAHB was using mobile water pumps to manually pump out excess rainwater from the driveway into the tank, whenever necessary.

He said MAHB was designing a larger tank as part of a long-term plan for the airport.

Zairil said the Penang government was also carrying out a RM4.5 million flood mitigation project for the areas surrounding the airport at Kampung Naran.

He said the proposed airport expansion plan would include flood prevention measures, with input from the transport ministry and MAHB.