DTTG: Ensure drains in Miri not blocked to prevent flooding
MIRI: The Dayak Think Tank Group ( DTTG) is calling upon the local authority to take immediate action to ensure that all drains around the city are not blocked to overcome the flash flood problem.
According to DTTG Miri chairman Elias Lipi Mat, the flood that hit this city last week was one of the worst that ever occurred – it had badly affected city dwellers as well as people in the surrounding areas.
“The authority must ensure that the drainage, especially in floodprone areas, is well maintained.
“More than a year ago, the government announced a RM1.5million allocation to upgrade the drainage in Taman Tunku, but until today, the area is still hit by floods during downpour,” he said.
Last week, Miri and its surrounding areas experienced continuous heavy rain from Thursday night until early Friday, which led to several areas being inundated – with the floodwater reaching waist level.
Taman Tunku was the worst hit – other affected areas included Kampung Pujut Padang Kerbau and Lepong Ajai Settlement.
“Most of the main roads to Taman Tunku housing areas were submerged under 1m of floodwater. Many parents could not send their children to school and some areas could not even be accessed by vehicles,” he said.
Elias added that the flood problem in Taman Tunku must be resolved immediately because it has become a burden to the residents.
“The residents there could not even sleep whenever it rains heavily because they are worried that flood may hit, as the drainage in the area is not working accordingly.
“As long as the drainage is not improved, flood can happen anytime, especially during the rainy season.
“We hope the authority concerned can act immediately to resolve this problem, including clearing all blocked drains,” he said.
Elias also advised residents in the area to play their part by not throwing rubbish into the drains to avoid clogging.
He said many residents of Taman Tunku had suffered losses after their belongings, including furniture, were damaged due to flood.
“We are also worried that the flood could bring along diseases if it happens too often or over a long period of time,” he said, adding that the residents there also have an important role to play to keep their areas clean.