‘Perlis govt must answer for floods’
Shahidan: Failure of state and DID to complete mitigation project the main cause
KANGAR: A Federal Minister has taken the Perlis government and state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to task for their failure to complete the Western Flood Mitigation project.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said the delay in completing the RM260mil project in Bintong was the main reason behind the devastating floods that hit Perlis and Kedah on Thursday.
The project was scheduled to be completed last year, though Shahidan acknowledged that the rain that day was unusually heavy.
“Tebing Tinggi and other low-ly- ing areas in Bintong were flooded due to the incomplete project.
“The state government and the state DID have to answer and explain to the people. They suffered heavy losses due to the floods.
“The people too should be told the truth about the status of the project.
“This is very unfair to the people,” he told a press conference at the state Civil Defence Force headquarters here yesterday.
Also present was National Civil Defence Force director-general Datuk Azmy Yahya.
Shahidan also reminded parents to remain vigilant and not allow their children to play in flood waters due to the strong currents.
“The dirty water could also make them fall sick,” he said.
Some of the flood victims concur with Shahidan.
Saleha Salleh, 39, from Kampung Belanga Pudak, said the state government should expedite the project and solve the flood issues once and for all.
Gardener Mohd Shukri Lazim, 40, said the flooding was the worst he had experienced.
“The flood mitigation project is supposed to solve flooding but it became the cause of the problem,” he said.
As of 5.30pm yesterday, the floods in Perlis and Kedah have displaced 3,088 people.
In Perlis, 1,552 victims are staying at 12 relief centres in Kangar and Arau.
Among the worst hit areas, besides Bintong, are Sena, Indera Kayangan, Kuala Perlis and Kayang in Kangar, Pauh, Tambun Tulang, Guar Sanji, Simpang Empat, Sanglang and Pekan Arau in Arau.
In Kedah, the number of flood evacuees increased to 1,536 from 664 the previous day.
The victims are being housed at relief centres in Kuala Muda, Kota Setar, Kepala Batas, Kubang Pasu, Malau, Pendang and Pokok Sena.
Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said the state’s ongoing flood mitigation plan, costing some RM1.4bil, would solve the flood problem.
He said the plan involved a number of rivers, adding that the flow of water to the sea would be smoother once all the RTB projects were fully completed.
The RM641mil Sungai Kedah project, involving three packages, will be completed in 2019 while the flood mitigation project in Pendang, costing RM350mil, will start next year.