Another pump for Penang airport to fight flood
Airport authorities have taken immediate measures to prevent a recurrence of flooding at the Penang International Airport’s departure lounge.
Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd senior manager Mohd Nadzim Hashim said these included acquiring another pump to cope with the continuous downpour.
“This is an immediate measure as earlier we had only one pump and it could not cope with the heavy rain,” he said.
He said other measures were also being taken under the flood mitigation project at the airport to overcome the problem.
On Sunday, 28 passengers had to wade through ankle-deep water to board their aircraft due to a flash flood at the departure lounge.
This followed heavy rain for about an hour and a half from 8.30am.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers ( FMM) expressed disappointment over the incident.
“As the main gateway for foreign investors and visitors, the airport should be well managed and maintained.
“This flash flood on Sunday could have been avoided,” Penang FMM said in a statement yesterday.
It stressed that the airport was also an important port for the import and export of goods for factories in the state and northern region.
“It’s unacceptable for the authorities to say that the flood at the turbo-prop aircraft departure lounge was due to continuous rainfall.
“This is not the first time the airport was flooded.
“They must take extra precaution to ensure the airport drainage sys- tem is well maintained.
“They should conduct a thorough investigation on the cause of the flash flood,” the statement added.
It also said the airport car park’s renovation had caused a lot of inconvenience to the public and urged the contractor to put up proper signage to ensure smooth traffic flow.