Paramasivam a victim of frequent floods at their village in Manjung, Perak. Locals say the inundation is caused by conditions along Sungai Beruas. — Photos: Bernama
RESIDENTs of Kampung Kasi in Perak’s Manjung district want both the state government and the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to resolve the frequent flooding in the area.
They believe the cause of the floods is that Sungai Beruas has become too shallow.
K. Paramasivam, 52, said the problem needed an immediate solution as the village was flooded whenever it rained heavily and this disrupted the villagers’ lives.
Speaking to Bernama, he said his house had been flooded twice in two weeks, with the water level higher than usual.
“This issue has been ongoing for the past 30 years.
Elderly villager N.Umadevi, 68, moves her home appliances to a higher surface as floodwaters rise in her home.
“We hope the relevant parties, especially the DID, will address the problem to prevent this from happening again,” he said.
Paramasivam is among flood victims from six affected households in the village.
Another resident, M. Indran, 49, said sediment had caused Sungai Beruas to become shallower.
“The ditches are not properly maintained, which has led to significant land erosion.
“Whenever the level of Sungai Beruas rises, the ditches are unable to hold the excessive amount of water.
“We are calling on the authorities to help solve a decades-old problem that affects mainly elderly villagers,” said Indran.
Meanwhile, Pengkalan Baharu assemblyman Azman Noh said floods had affected several other villages including Kampung Padang Serai, Kampung Matang Acheh and Kampung Pengkalan Damar which are located in the coastal town of Pantai Remis.
According to him, the Federal Government’s Sungai Beruas Basin Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB), which falls under the 11th Malaysia Plan, should be able to resolve the long-standing flood issue.
However, he expressed regret that the project, currently underway in Beruas, did not cover the 22km stretch of Sungai Beruas from Gunung Bubu to the rivermouth near Pantai Remis.
“Sungai Beruas should be the priority since it is causing the floods, but it is not included in the upgrading work such as the deepening of the river and the construction of bunds,” Azman noted.
He said the issue had been brought to the attention of the relevant ministry, and he hoped that the Federal Government would review the Beruas Basin RTB.
