JOHOR BARU: The flood that hit Kampung Pasir here yesterday was due to a flap gate along Sungai Skudai that was damaged during a high tide phenomenon, Johor Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said.
He added that the damaged gate allowed rising water in the river to enter the borrow pit at the village and subsequently flooded the village.
“We received reports that the flap gate failed to function during high tide, and repairs have been done immediately to reduce the risk of flooding,” he said when contacted today, adding that an estimated 25 houses have been affected and no relief centre has been activated yet.
He also said that the Johor Department of Irrigation and Drainage was continuously monitoring the water level of Sungai Skudai and that the state government is implementing phase 1 of the Environmentally-Friendly Drainage Project in Kampung Pasir, due to be completed in June next year, as a long term solution to reduce the risk of flooding.
Kampung Pasir village chief Azmi Misni, who also serves as the Pulai parliamentary constituency service centre officer, told Bernama that more than 100 houses were affected by the floods.
Checks by Bernama in the village found that most houses were inundated by knee-high floodwaters, especially those along Jalan Manggis and Jalan Sukun.
A resident, Junita Mazlan, 26, said the flooding began at about noon yesterday when the river water rose swiftly to their thighs before receding slightly in the evening, but rising again at night, while fellow resident, Noraini Kasim, 38, shared that floodwaters entered her bedrooms and kitchen, damaging electrical appliances as they lacked time to save them.
Meanwhile, Zamir Abdullah, 44, expressed his concern that the flooding would cause disappointment among villagers as it has been recurring since the 1970s even though bunds were built and pumps installed. — BERNAMA
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
