Mud floods hit village in Cameron Highlands

Picture courtesy of REACH.

PETALING JAYA: Mud floods struck a village in Cameron Highlands, Pahang on Tuesday (Dec 20), leaving some parts of the area flooded with knee-deep muddied water.

Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH) president Dilip Martin said the mud floods occurred following a three-hour downpour, which began around 3pm Tuesday at Kampung Raja.

This was also the second time mud floods had occurred in the area, with the first being on Nov 18, according to Dilip.

“We believe that the mud floods were caused by an agricultural project which was recently set up about 300m uphill from the residential area,” Dilip claimed.

“The close proximity from the site to the residential area also puts the latter at an increased risk of possible tragedies,” he said, adding that he had already informed the local authorities to take action on the matter.

Dilip also feared that possible landslides could hit the area if no concrete actions were taken to stem the mud floods.

He also urged the Pahang government and new Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to look into the matter.

“The authorities should take action before any tragedy strikes. We don’t need lives to be lost before we start doing the necessary things,” he said.