Heavy rains wreak havoc in Penang

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government has approved an emergency funding of RM665,000 for flood mitigation works after heavy rains lashed the island, causing landslides, road collapses, floods and fallen trees in many places, leaving thousands stranded as traffic was reduced to a snail’s crawl.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the state had approved the amount for the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to carry out seven immediate short-term flood mitigation projects as a RM350mil allocation they had asked for from the Federal Government was not forthcoming.