Coconut fronds to stem waves

Woman of initiative: Fadilah standing beside the barrier she set up in front of her shop in Pasir Mas, Kelantan.

PASIR MAS: A resident of Kampung Siram here has taken the initiative to build a barrier using coconut fronds, planks and plastic bottles in front of her shop to reduce the impact of the water flow that frequently inundates the entrance of her business premises.

Fadilah Mohd Noor, 44, said she had been doing this each year since 2014 to prevent damage to the door after having to replace it several times, incurring costs of up to RM4,000.

ALSO READ: Nadma chief: We’re working together

“I have to set up this barrier as I have experienced losses when the shop door was damaged by the strong currents from the overflowing water of Sungai Golok.

“As preparation for the floods, I gathered the coconut fronds, planks and used bottles on Tuesday and constructed the barrier with my son.

“Alhamdulillah, it has been effective,” the single mother said when met at her home here, Bernama reported.

She said several tables were placed behind the door as an additional measure.

ALSO READ: ‘Kelantan needs all the help it can get’

Fadilah added that her place of business, located at the old Rantau Panjang-Pasir Mas road, serves as the main route for residents’ boats and rescue agencies, causing her shop to consistently bear the brunt of floodwaters whenever it rains for a prolonged period.

She added that every year, the village her shop is located in experiences flooding several times, sometimes taking up to a week for the water to completely recede.

“In this third wave of flooding here, the water level is slightly higher than last year, perhaps due to the flood barriers bursting on Tuesday.

“Hopefully, with better weather conditions from now on, the floodwaters will recede quickly, and I can resume business,” she said.

The third wave of flooding has affected eight villages in the Siram sub-district, with water levels surpassing one metre.