Batu Ferringhi coastal erosion project nears completion

GEORGE TOWN: The coastal erosion mitigation project at Batu Ferringhi has made significant progress, with sandbag installation works now 95 per cent completed.
State Infrastructure, Transport and Utility Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the initiative, which started in April, was funded through an emergency allocation of RM250,000.
"The project, covering a 130m stretch from Rasa Sayang Hotel to Golden Sands Hotel, is now in its final stages, with contractors focusing on finishing works," he said in his latest Facebook entry.
He also showed several photos of the work done.
Zairil said, in addition to the immediate response, a long-term solution was underway under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), with an estimated cost of RM61 million.
He said the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) is currently in the process of appointing surveyor for hydrographic survey of the coastline, which spans from Batu Ferringhi to Tanjung Bunga.
"Physical works for the long-term solution are expected to begin next year or 2027," he added.
During a visit here in April, Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the federal government had approved a RM61 million budget for vital restoration works for Batu Ferringhi following erosion issue.
He said the project would focus on both immediate protection and long-term preservation, with particular details to maintaining the beach's attractiveness as a tourist destination.
The design, to be finalised this year, would incorporate a combination of solutions such as breakwaters, sand nourishment, and other mitigation measures to stabilise the area and protect the 7km beachfront, stretching from Batu Ferringhi to Tanjung Bunga.
The Batu Ferringhi beach, one of Penang's most iconic tourist destinations, has experienced considerable degradation over the past few years due to shifting sand and constant wave action.

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