DEBAK: Several villages near here once again are experiencing flash floods due to heavy rain that lasted overnight since last Tuesday.
According to Betong Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) operations officer Henry Jugah, the sudden rise of water affected more than 100 homes.
“The villages affected are Kampung Bungey, Kampung Babu and Kampung Lalang. Most low-rise homes are flooded.”
Meanwhile, residents hoped that the agency responsible for solving the flood woe here would act immediately.
Saribas assemblyman Mohammad Razi Sitam acknowledged that the flash floods in Debak, affecting Malay settlements, required swift action.
Last June, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg approved RM30 million to build a two-kilometre canal to improve drainage.
“I don’t want this project to be delayed because the chief minister and Sarawak government have given their approvals … and this project is highly anticipated by residents.”
He added that every time a flash flood occurred, more than 90 percent of the homes, especially at Kampung Babu, Bungey and Lalang, were inundated.
In a separate development, the road leading to a longhouse in Nanga Ulai, inhabited by 120 residents, was cut off as it was made impassable by a landslip.
According to the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), the incident was believed to have occurred due to heavy rain and there was no alternative route to the longhouse.
