Emergency flood measures
KOTA KINABALU: The authorities are taking emergency measures to counter the floods as the Meteorological Department has predicted another five days of heavy rain in the west coast.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah said the authorities were now monitoring the weather and emergency response teams were now on the ground assisting those affected by the flood on Monday.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Kota Kinabalu City Hall and the relevant agencies as well as departments here yesterday, Yong said they had asked the Meteorological Department to give an hourly update on the weather to all activated district natural disaster committees.
The hourly information will help the response team to prepare for any eventualities, he said.
“We have activated the Flying Squad which comprises representatives from state agencies and departments as well as the police, bomba and Civil Defence Force. They will be going around to all the flood-affected areas to assist those affected as well as to carry out repairs to damaged public infrastructure and removal of debris,” Yong said.
He also disclosed that the flooding in at least five districts on Monday was due to abnormal rainfall over the past few days.
The Meteorological Department recorded 133.44 millimetres of rain on Monday and 86.8 millimetres on Sunday, he said, adding that the heavy rainfall coupled with high tide had resulted in flash floods in areas like Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Manggatal, Lido and Likas.
Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai added that the rainfall was double or triple to what was recorded normally which is 30 millimetres to 50 millimetres per day.
According to Yeo, the district’s natural disaster committee activated its operations room at 5pm on Monday and has received 50 calls so far, some even from as far as Sandakan.
“We expect to face heavy rainfall until Friday and all authorities are alert and on standby for emergencies like evacuations and landslides,” he said after chairing the district action committee meeting here.
Yong added that all the concessionaires doing maintenance and cleaning of the drains reported that there were no blockages as claimed by the opposition parties.
“Therefore the allegations that blocked drains caused the flash flood are not true. However the concessionaires are now on the ground clearing the drains of debris brought by the recent flood,” he said.
“The opposition is also not right in saying that the government has not done anything to mitigate the flooding problem. In fact two packages of the Moyog River flood mitigation plan have started,” Yong disclosed.
The project was delayed due to some land acquisition issues, he said, adding that another package which is for Lido is now open for tender and the closing date for the tender is on September 9.
Some land acquisitions will also be required in Lido as there is not much land to build another monsoon drain there, he said and added that the project is expected to be completed within three years.
Meanwhile an officer from the Meteorological Department, Elsie Benedict, said the rain was caused by changes in the wind pattern.
She pointed out that it is not normal for it to rain this much in August and the department is monitoring the situation all the time.
Community Service and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid who was also at the meeting, urged corporate companies to help the flood victims through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.
“As the minister in charge of volunteerism, I also urge the public to volunteer to help the victims like the flood-affected schools in cleaning up the premises. I would also like to remind parents not to allow their children to play in the flood waters for safety and hygiene purposes,” she said.
Jainab also urged employers to allow their staff living in floodprone areas to leave work early so that they can prepare themselves for any eventuality of flooding.