KOA Ulu Geruntum Residents Urge Swift Replacement Of Bridges

GOPENG, June 25 (Bernama) -- Residents of Kampung Orang Asli (KOA) Ulu Geruntum have urged for the immediate replacement of the two bridges linking their village that were destroyed by a water surge on June 19.

Resident Wak Nanten a/p Bah Bulu, 67, said the incident, which occurred at about 4.30 pm, was the first of its kind he had experienced in more than six decades of living in the village.

She said she and her younger sister, Cheket a/p Bah Bulu, 57, were cooking when their nephew warned that the river upstream had begun overflowing, prompting them to flee on their motorcycles.

"At that moment, I could only pray to God and thought I was going to die. Fortunately, I managed to reach the lower part of the village as the strong current swept away large tree trunks," she told Bernama at the temporary relief centre (PPS) at Dewan Bandaran Gopeng.

Wak Nanten said her house, located about 20 metres from Sungai Ulu Geruntum, escaped major damage although floodwaters inundated the compound.

She said the water surge destroyed both the village's main bridge and suspension bridge, cutting off access for residents.

Cheket said villagers initially did not realise the danger because the river level appeared normal despite the rain.

"We have never seen anything like this before, but we are grateful that no lives were lost," she said, adding that residents had only been informed that a temporary bridge would be built, but had yet to receive details on when construction would begin.

The June 19 incident left more than 51 people from 16 families stranded after the village was cut off by the collapsed bridges.

Meanwhile, Perak Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Sandrea Ng Shy Ching said an application to build a temporary bridge had been submitted to the state government for urgent consideration.

Ng, who is also the Teja assemblyman, said construction of the approximately 24-metre temporary bridge was expected to take at least two weeks after approval, with the project involving villagers, the Kampar District and Land Office and the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA).

She added that affected residents would remain at the PPS until their homes and basic infrastructure had been fully restored.

-- BERNAMA