Authorities Urged To Solve Frequent Flooding In Kampung Kasi

BERUAS, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- Residents of Kampung Kasi are urging the state government and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to promptly address the issue of Sungai Beruas becoming shallower, which is believed to be causing frequent flooding in the village.

K. Paramasivam, 52, said the problem needed to be resolved immediately, as the village frequently experienced flooding whenever it rained heavily, disrupting the lives of its residents.

“In just two weeks, my house has been flooded twice. This time, the water rose higher than usual and became stagnant, and we don’t even know when it will recede.

“This issue is not new; it has been ongoing for the past 30 years. We hope the relevant parties, especially the DID, will carry out more systematic maintenance to prevent this from happening again,” he told Bernama today.

Paramasivam is one of the flood victims from the six families affected after water rose above knee-level in the village due to heavy rain since last night.

He said that the heavy rain caused the area around his house to flood, and by around 6 am today, the water had risen, forcing him to move electrical equipment to a higher place.

Another resident, M. Indran, 49, said the overflow from the river, carrying sand particles, had caused Sungai Beruas to become shallower, which he believed was the cause of the frequent floods in the village.

“The existing ditches are not properly maintained, which has led to significant land erosion. When the water level in Sungai Beruas rises, the ditches are unable to hold the excessive amount of water.

“So, we are calling on the authorities to help solve a problem that has been ongoing for decades, and most of the people affected are the elderly,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pengkalan Baharu assemblyman Azman Noh said the floods have affected not just Kampung Kasi but also Kampung Padang Serai, Matang Acheh, and Pengkalan Damar.

According to him, the Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB) for the Sungai Beruas Basin 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 town did not cover Sungai Beruas along the 22-kilometre stretch from Gunung Bubu to the river mouth near Pantai Remis.

“Sungai Beruas should be the priority since it’s causing the floods, but it’s not included in the upgrading work, such as deepening the river and constructing bunds,” he said.

Azman added that the issue had been brought to the attention of the relevant ministry, and he hoped the federal government would review the effectiveness of the Beruas Basin RTB in Beruas town.

“I’m sure that even when the RTB is complete, floods will still occur in Kampung Kasi, Padang Serai, Pengkalan Damar, and Matang Acheh because they are all caused by Sungai Beruas, which is not part of the plan,” he said.

-- BERNAMA