Residents Call For Action To Prevent Flash Floods In Pontian Villages

PONTIAN, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- Residents of Kampung Paya Embun and Kampung Melayu Raya here have urged the authorities to improve the drainage system and widen the nearby river, which they believe has been the main cause of recurring flash floods during heavy rain.

Norhayati Ariffin, 54, from Kampung Melayu Raya, said she feared floods could strike again if no action is taken, as her house is located directly in front of a drainage channel.

“The drain must be widened so that water will not overflow,” she told Bernama today.

The mother of two said her village has been hit three times this year, forcing her family to seek shelter at a temporary relief centre (PPS).

The latest floods, caused by heavy rain around 1.30 am yesterday, saw water rise to thigh level, damaging most household items, including electrical appliances, and resulting in losses of more than RM10,000.

“This flood was almost as bad as the one a week before Hari Raya. The water rose so fast that most of our belongings could not be saved. I don’t know what to say, I felt exhausted,” she said.

Meanwhile, Azman Jaafar, 43, from Kampung Paya Embun, said the river behind his house needs to be widened and the excavated soil relocated elsewhere.

“If the soil is just dumped on the banks, it will eventually flow back into the river,” said the market worker.

He said the floods struck so quickly that most residents did not realise water had entered their homes. However, the waters fully receded by 11 am yesterday, allowing residents to begin cleaning today.

A Bernama check earlier today found residents starting to clean their homes in the hot weather.

The PPS at Sekolah Kebangsaan Melayu Raya, which housed 159 residents from 46 families in five villages since 6 am yesterday, was fully closed at 2 pm today.

Yesterday, State Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman said continuous heavy rain and water runoff from Gunung Pulai had caused flooding in Kampung Melayu Raya, Kampung Paya Embun, Kampung Pak Kalib, Kampung Seri Menanti and Kampung Maju Jaya.

-- BERNAMA